Aviation & Aeronautics

Intermediate

Climb Angle

The steady climb angle depends on the excess of thrust over drag relative to weight.

Formula

\sin\gamma = \dfrac{T - D}{W}

Variables

\gammaClimb angle

TThrust

DDrag

WWeight

Example

T=D+0.1W: sin γ = 0.1, γ ≈ 5.7°

Did You Know?

Maximum climb angle (not rate) gives the best height gained per unit of ground distance — vital for obstacle clearance.

climb angle performance

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