OVERVIEW

That's it. Not too steep. Give me a little more power, please; after all, the Engine Designer has given you a lot of surplus for occasions like these. Remember that now I have two enemies, Drag and Weight.

A.C. Kermode ^[188], 1956

This chapter deals with steady and accelerated climb and gliding. Climb is a flight in which the aircraft gains altitude. During a glide, powered or unpowered, the aircraft loses altitude. The aircraft climb, along with the cruise conditions, is among the most common phases of flight.

We discuss separately the problems of steady and accelerated climb. Accelerated climb problems are exclusively the domain of numerical solutions. Yet, the assumption of quasi-steady flight is a valid option for many aircraft.

There are essentially two methods for solving climb problems: by solution of the differential equations that govern the motion of the center of gravity, and by the use of energy methods. There is a difference in the climb characteristics of propeller-and jet-driven aircraft. Even within these categories, there is a difference between propellers driven by gas turbines and internal combustion engines.

Although modern flight programs routinely include a turn during climb-out and descent, we will restrict the discussion to a vertical plane. The reason for this is that climb in a three-dimensional space generally requires a detailed knowledge of how the flight controls promote aerodynamic forces that make the aircraft turn.

A number of other climb problems are discussed later in the book: ski jump (Chapter...