How do you find the speed and direction of an aircraft?
For example:
A Boeing 747 jumbo jet maintains an airspeed of 550mph in a southwesterly direction. The velocity of the jet stream is a constant 80mph from the west.
How would you solve this problem, step by step? Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you x
For example:
A Boeing 747 jumbo jet maintains an airspeed of 550mph in a southwesterly direction. The velocity of the jet stream is a constant 80mph from the west.
How would you solve this problem, step by step? Any help is much appreciated.
Thank you x
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Southwest is 45 degrees west of south.
The wind is from the west.
Western component of aircraft speed = (cos 45) x 550, = 388.9mph.
South component = (sin 45 x 550), = 388.9mph.
Subtract wind speed from west component, = net 308.9 west component of speed.
The south component doesn't change.
You now can construct a right triangle of the speeds.
Resultant speed over the ground = sqrt. (388.9^2 + 308.9^2), = 496.65mph.
Direction = a.tan (308.9/388.9), = 38.46 degrees west of south.
The wind is from the west.
Western component of aircraft speed = (cos 45) x 550, = 388.9mph.
South component = (sin 45 x 550), = 388.9mph.
Subtract wind speed from west component, = net 308.9 west component of speed.
The south component doesn't change.
You now can construct a right triangle of the speeds.
Resultant speed over the ground = sqrt. (388.9^2 + 308.9^2), = 496.65mph.
Direction = a.tan (308.9/388.9), = 38.46 degrees west of south.