Cold weather climb performance: fact or fiction?
There seems to be the visual perception that for a jet, the colder the temperature, the greater the climb angle and rate after takeoff. Even if one requires the aircraft to be in the same configuration, and thrust (assuming the engines are flat rated throughout the temperature we’re considering), this seems to be the perception. Having pondered this for awhile, I’ve come up with the following, and am asking anyone to help with comments, correct, and generally additional info:
Consider a jet climbing just after take off, clean, at the min drag speed. For noise abatement climbs, I thought this would be close to reality. This calibrated speed should be independent of the OAT.
As for the climb angle, I’m surmising that it must be the same regardless of the temperature. ??
However, on a warmer day, the TAS will be higher, which means the rate of climb is higher on a warm day than a cold day. This seems opposite to the visual illusion.
Any fallacies?
Hawk37