In flight mechanics, the term “minimum thrust” refers to the lowest amount of thrust that an aircraft’s engines or propulsion system must generate in order to maintain a specific flight condition. This condition is usually associated with steady and level flight, where the forces acting on the aircraft are in balance.
- Tmin: This might refer to the minimum thrust required for an aircraft to maintain a certain level of flight. It’s the minimum thrust needed to counteract drag and keep the aircraft from decelerating.
- W: This typically represents the weight of the aircraft. In flight mechanics, weight is the force due to gravity acting on the mass of the aircraft.
- Cdmd: This could be a reference to the drag coefficient for the minimum drag condition. Drag coefficient (Cd) is a dimensionless number that quantifies the drag force experienced by an aircraft relative to its frontal area.
- Clmd: Similarly, this might refer to the lift coefficient for the minimum drag condition. Lift coefficient (Cl) is another dimensionless number that represents the lift generated by an aircraft’s wings relative to its reference area.