Excess power in aviation refers to the surplus or extra power available to an aircraft’s engines beyond what is required to maintain straight and level flight. Positive excess power indicates the ability to climb, while negative excess power suggests an inability to climb at the given conditions. The formula to calculate Excess power required for climbing as follows:
Where:
- is the excess power required for climbing (in watts),
- is the weight of the aircraft (N).
- is the thrust produced by the engines (N),
- is the airspeed (m/s).
- is the climb angle (degrees).
- is the minimum speed required for climbing (m/s).