Scribd
Upload
1K views3 pages

THE MACHMETER Chapter 6

The Machmeter is an instrument that indicates an aircraft's speed as a proportion of the local speed of sound. It uses two capsules - an airspeed capsule that responds to dynamic pressure, and an altimeter capsule that responds to static pressure. The movement of these capsules at a ratio corresponding to the formula for Mach number causes a pointer to indicate the aircraft's Mach. The Machmeter is calibrated specifically and does not suffer from temperature, density, or compressibility errors like other instruments.

Uploaded by

RaghavendraSingh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views3 pages

THE MACHMETER Chapter 6

The Machmeter is an instrument that indicates an aircraft's speed as a proportion of the local speed of sound. It uses two capsules - an airspeed capsule that responds to dynamic pressure, and an altimeter capsule that responds to static pressure. The movement of these capsules at a ratio corresponding to the formula for Mach number causes a pointer to indicate the aircraft's Mach. The Machmeter is calibrated specifically and does not suffer from temperature, density, or compressibility errors like other instruments.

Uploaded by

RaghavendraSingh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

THE MACHMETER

1. In high speed aircraft the Machmeter is an essential instrument. As an aircraft


approaches the local speed of sound the airflow over some parts of the fuselage or wings
may be accelerated up to the speed of sound and a shock wave will form.
2. Critical Mach number/MCRIT – The lowest Mach number at which air over any part of the
aircraft becomes sonic.
The speed at which airflow over some part of the aircraft first reaches the speed of sound
and shock waves form.
SPEED OF SOUND
1. The speed of sound is not constant but varies with air temperature. A formula for
calculating the local speed of sound (LSS) is:
LSS = 38.94√𝑻 , T is the absolute temperature
, LSS is given in knots
2. The higher the air temperature, the higher the speed of sound, and vice versa.
AKSHEY SOOD
3. Since temperature normally reduces as altitude increases, the speed of sound normally
reduces as altitude increases.
MACHMETER PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION.
1. The Machmeter uses two capsules and linkages to indicate the aircrafts True Airspeed
(TAS) as a proportion of the local speed of sound (LSS)
2. The first capsule is an Airspeed Capsule which will expand and contract as a result of
changes in the dynamic pressure.
3. The second capsule is a sealed Altimeter Capsule which will expand and contract as the
static pressure inside the instrument case changes.
𝑇𝐴𝑆 𝐷𝑌𝑁𝐴𝑀𝐼𝐶 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆𝑈𝑅𝐸 𝐴𝑆𝐼 𝑃 − 𝑆
𝑀𝐴𝐶𝐻 𝑁𝑈𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 = = = =
𝐿𝑆𝑆 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝐼𝐶 𝑃𝑅𝐸𝑆𝑆𝑈𝑅𝐸 𝐴𝐿𝑇 𝑆

MACHMETER CONSTRUCTION
1. It consists of a simple aneroid altitude capsule and an airspeed capsule which are
connected at the ratio arm.
2. A spring-loaded ranging arm transmits the movement of the ratio arm to the pointer
mechanism.
CALIBRATION
Machmeter is the only instrument not calibrated to ISA.
ACCURACY +/- .01 M
IMPORTANT NOTES
1. VMO = Maximum operating indicated speed.
2. MMO = Maximum operating Mach number.
3. At lower altitude aircraft speed is limited by VMO.
4. At higher altitude shockwaves will be formed at lower speed, therefore maximum speed
will be limited by MMO.
5. Barber pole indicates VMO versus altitude and temperature.
6. VMO is expressed as CAS but calculated as EAS.
ERRORS
INSTRUMENT POSITION MANOEUVRE BLOCKAGES
INDUCED

POSITION ERROR
The instrument uses the same sources of pitot and static pressure as the ASI and therefore
suffers from position error caused by disturbed airflow at the pitot head and/or static vent.
MANOEUVRE INDUCED ERROR
The Machmeter will suffer an additional, unpredictable error whenever the aeroplane
manoeuvres.
BLOCKAGES
AKSHEY SOOD
It may be noted that the Machmeter blockage error are the same as the ASI blockage.
DENSITY, TEMPERATURE AND COMPRESSIBILITY ERRORS
It does not suffer from temperature or density errors, as these errors cancel out. In
addition since compressibility error depends on dynamic/static pressure, and the
instrument is calibrated to this ratio, compressibility error is calibrated out.

CLIMB AT A CONSTANT CAS IN STANDARD(ISA) ATMOSPHERE

CLIMB AND DESCENT THROUGH AN ISOTHERMAL LAYER

CLIMB AND DESCENT THROUGH AN INVERSION

AKSHEY SOOD

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy