Old 02-21-2010, 09:28 AM
  #6  
JobHopper
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Joined APC: Jan 2009
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Originally Posted by ryan1234 View Post
It was my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, but max operating V-speeds have to do with high-dynamic pressure problems, like flutter, aileron reversal, divergence, etc.....as such they are a function of EAS - depending on the effect.

Because EAS decreases with altitude for a given mach number, sonic flow starts to predominate (so Mmo takes over) - because higher altitudes will have lower dynamic pressures (which makes Vmo less critical). In the end, like you said, Mach is a the ratio of true airspeed / speed of sound at that particular temperature.
Thanks for the correction. I think like a pilot and not an engineer.

I agree that high speed = high dynamic pressures and EAS measures that speed. How those pressures affect an individual airframe is the reason we have wind tunnels and aero engineers to figure out the limits.
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