In aircraft design and aviation, “power available” refers to the maximum power that an aircraft’s engine(s) can produce under specific operating conditions. It is a critical parameter for assessing an aircraft’s performance capabilities, including its ability to climb, accelerate, and maintain certain speeds. The formula for calculating power available depends on the type of engine and the specific aircraft configuration.
For a piston engine aircraft (commonly used in general aviation), power available is typically determined by the following formula:
- is the power available (usually in watts or horsepower).
- is the thrust produced by the engine (usually in newtons or pounds-force).
- is the true airspeed of the aircraft (typically in meters per second or feet per second).
- is the propeller efficiency (a dimensionless value between 0 and 1, representing how efficiently the engine’s power is converted into thrust).