• someguy3
    3·
    1 year ago

    Do they actually calculate mach that way when they say a plane can go mach 3? Or do they just use the speed of sound at 1 atm?

    • wolfpack86@lemmy.world
      3·
      1 year ago

      I would hypothesize that the indicator for mach and air speed are decoupled from each other, as a true mach reading would likely give an indication of how hard a plane is working to push itself through the air.

      Just a guess though.

    • IDatedSuccubi@lemmy.world
      2·
      11 months ago

      It is calculated according to the speed of sound at the altitude you’re in, and measured using a difference of pressure in the pitot tube.