PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Relation between IAS and Mach number
View Single Post
Old 18th May 2006, 07:09
  #9 (permalink)  
specialrider987
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dubai
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Mach is the ratio of an aircraft's True Airspeed (TAS) to the local speed of sound.

The local speed of sound is only dependent on temperature. Nothing else.

Therefore, it is conceivable that at a constant Mach one could cross a front and have a change to the TAS in order to maintain constanct Mach, which would require a change in IAS.

The colder the air mass, the higher the Mach number for a constant TAS

The warmer the air mass, the lower the Mach number for a constant TAS

I hope this helps... it's been a while!
specialrider987 is offline