What speed is your actual speed?

[Tinkles]

Just for clarification.

Was in a 110G-2 today at 23k and was watching the E6B since I was low on fuel.

When I looked at the E6B I noticed this.

229 Indicated
339 True
351 Ground

So what speed was I actually going? And what is the significance of all three?

Thanks for the info.

Tinkles

<<S>>

P.S. Yes I knew these existed looong before this topic was posted. But I was just curious as to what each one means and it's relevance to my plane. 

[uptown]

True speed if your actual speed, but fly by your indicated.

[ozrocker]

There are actually 4 types of airspeed (3 in AH)

This will clear it up for you

http://www.golfhotelwhiskey.com/understanding-the-four-types-of-airspeed/

                                                                                                                                                      Oz

[ink]

True speed if your actual speed, but fly by your indicated.

that can be dangerous in certain planes.

[Hap]

True speed if your actual speed

this has been my understanding since 2002.  However, when bombing the calibrated airspeed number tends to ground speed.  Granted, I've not spent as much time in buffs of late and made notes during the flight as I should.  

It's confusing.

[GScholz]

True air speed is the speed of the air passing your aircraft. Ground speed is your speed relative to the ground, and is important for navigation. Indicated is what you should worry about if you're slow and about to stall. True air speed is what you need to worry about going fast in a dive close to compressibility.

[GScholz]

Btw. true air speed (TAS) is the little red arrow on your speedo.

[GScholz]

Btw. again... Indicated is actually a measure of the air pressure exerted by the air hitting your aircraft. That's why it is important when you're slow, because your wings are held up by air pressure, not air speed.

[FLS]

There are actually 4 types of airspeed (3 in AH)

This will clear it up for you

http://www.golfhotelwhiskey.com/understanding-the-four-types-of-airspeed/

                                                                                                                                                      Oz

I think you could argue that we have all 4 types but since there isn't any error in our IAS it matches CAS.

[Bobcat81]

Btw. true air speed (TAS) is the little red arrow on your speedo.

How do you know about the red arrow on my speedo?





 

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Determining your actual speed is very complex. I think we don't know exactly how fast the Sun is moving in space while we orbit it.

[hitech]

I think you could argue that we have all 4 types but since there isn't any error in our IAS it matches CAS.

We model CAS and IAS. I know the needle shows IAS not CAS. I would have to look at code to be sure which one the E6B is showing.

HiTech

[FLS]

We model CAS and IAS. I know the needle shows IAS not CAS. I would have to look at code to be sure which one the E6B is showing.

HiTech

That is amazing that you would model the IAS errors.  So we do have all 4 types in AH.           

[tmetal]

this has been my understanding since 2002.  However, when bombing the calibrated airspeed number tends to ground speed.  Granted, I've not spent as much time in buffs of late and made notes during the flight as I should.  

It's confusing.

I am sure that I am over simplifying this but, calibrating to ground speed is correct basically because your target is on the ground. the ballistic arc of your bombs has to be callculated using 2 parts. 1:the speed of the bomb at release point (I.E. the speed of your bomber) in relation to your desired impact point; and 2: the release platform's altitude over the desired impact point at the point in space of bomb release.  This is why when the bombsight is calibrated it accounts for aircraft altitude and ground speed (and target altitude when bombsight calibration is set to "manual" in the arena settings)

At least this is how my meager physics knowledge justifies it. Somebody smarter or more informed than me might come along and let me know how wrong I got it though 

[Vinkman]

So your True air speed can only be slower than your Ground speed if there is a tail wind?