Speed vs Angle

[Cthulhu]

This is all hypothetically speaking, but I believe the Yak3 can and LA7 and of course the 163.

I'm not sure that any of the prop planes in game could pull off a 10k zoom climb from SL, although I do know the F8F held the world record for climb to 10k (from brake release) for 10 years. (94 secs!), so anything is possible with enough power.

[FLOOB]

What are you referring to as a ballistic climb? A powerless climb?

Ballistic climb is just a better term for zoom climb. Having a lot of speed and pointing your plane up, exchanging momentum for altitude, rather than just climbing with thrust and lift alone.

[Mongoose]

So Air Density is modeled in-game? I know drag is from searching up threads on "Drag Model".
If air density isn't modeled then everything you have suggested is a theory, yes?

  I can tell you that air density is definitely modeled in-game.  I had a couple of flights this last week that proved it.

[Cthulhu]

Ballistic climb is just a better term for zoom climb. Having a lot of speed and pointing your plane up, exchanging momentum for altitude, rather than just climbing with thrust and lift alone.

Yeah, thanks for clarifying that for us. 

What your "ballistic climb" accomplishes is a conversion of kinetic energy to potential energy. Momentum is a vector (it has a direction), energy is a scalar. And neither is conserved due to aerodynamic drag. Although laymen use the two terms interchangeably, they're not the same thing.

Now if we can just get those millions of pilots worldwide to stop using that inaccurate "zoom climb" terminology. 

[FLS]

Ballistic climb is just a better term for zoom climb. Having a lot of speed and pointing your plane up, exchanging momentum for altitude, rather than just climbing with thrust and lift alone.

I believe the term "ballistic" tends to refer to unpowered flight. Zoom climb is likely a better term in this case.

[FLOOB]

I believe the term "ballistic" tends to refer to unpowered flight. Zoom climb is likely a better term in this case.

Nope, ballistic climb is a zoom climb. It's just one term is onomatopoic (caveman talk), and the other is more literal, hence better.  

Floob make plane go zoom now!

[pembquist]

Your only ballistic when your wings are shot off.

[wpeters]

Can some explain how to do a proper zoom climb in combat.  I think I read in No Guts No Glory. That a person needs 100 knots on his opponent.  And when I do that wich I don't know if it is a zoom climb or not.  But I do know I tend to get my but perforated. 

[hitech]

Earlier today Midway was on 200 asked: Why does it seem faster to fly level at 100ft to target and zoom climb to 10k than to auto climb to target and reach 10k.

Before you go into all the conjecture, you may wish to do a simple time test, take off from a field, climb to x alt otw, then level.

And repeat with the level flight first and then the climb.

The key word in that sentence is "SEEM".

HiTech

[Cthulhu]

Before you go into all the conjecture, you may wish to do a simple time test, take off from a field, climb to x alt otw, then level.

And repeat with the level flight first and then the climb.

The key word in that sentence is "SEEM".

HiTech

Yep. 

Here's another angle on this to ponder...

Consider how much time you spend accelerating in that dense seal level air before zoom climbing to altitude, vs a steady climb in rapidly thinning air to altitude.  A climb to altitude is a potential energy gain, and trying to gain it first as kinetic energy, at sea level, against drag that increases as a function of velocity ^ 2, and then converting it all at once to potential energy is, well... figure it out.

[TequilaChaser]

Reference to "Ballistic"

Movie: Top Gun

"He's going ballistic" ..... <------ wasn't they referring to their opponent going into a zoom climb?

LOL

TC

[GhostCDB]

Before you go into all the conjecture, you may wish to do a simple time test, take off from a field, climb to x alt otw, then level.

And repeat with the level flight first and then the climb.

The key word in that sentence is "SEEM".

HiTech

But if I did that my score would suffer 

[hitech]

Btw It suddenly struck me, it may be possible to arrive at the same point faster flying low first and then climbing.

But when arriving at the same point the plane who climbed first would be traveling much faster then the plane who climbed last. And hence have greater energy.

HiTech

[FLS]

Btw It suddenly struck me, it may be possible to arrive at the same point faster flying low first and then climbing.

But when arriving at the same point the plane who climbed first would be traveling much faster then the plane who climbed last. And hence have greater energy.

HiTech

It's faster to climb first because the lighter air density lets you fly faster. If the target is very close it may be faster on the deck but the farther the target the more benefit from climbing first. You also have more energy to use at the target when you come in at altitude.

 

[Cthulhu]

Btw It suddenly struck me, it may be possible to arrive at the same point faster flying low first and then climbing.

But when arriving at the same point the plane who climbed first would be traveling much faster then the plane who climbed last. And hence have greater energy.

HiTech

Depends on the plane Dale. As an example (IIRC)...
The F-101 had higher thrust to weight, but the low drag of the F-104 let it accelerate in level flight then zoom climb in steps. The net effect was that the 104 got to altitude quicker. But I think this was the exception, and not the rule for most planes.