1. What is True Airspeed?

True Airspeed (TAS) is the actual speed of an aircraft through the air. It's calculated by correcting Indicated Airspeed (IAS) for non-standard atmospheric conditions, particularly air density.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the True Airspeed formula:

Where:

• \( TAS \) — True Airspeed (knots)
• \( IAS \) — Indicated Airspeed (knots)
• \( \rho_0 \) — Standard air density (1.225 kg/m³ at sea level)
• \( \rho \) — Actual air density at current altitude and conditions

Explanation: The formula accounts for how air density affects airspeed indicators. Lower air density at higher altitudes means the aircraft is moving faster than the indicated airspeed suggests.

3. Importance of True Airspeed Calculation

Details: True Airspeed is critical for flight planning, navigation, and fuel calculations. It determines actual aircraft performance and is used for accurate time and distance calculations during flight.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter indicated airspeed in knots, standard air density (typically 1.225 kg/m³ at sea level), and actual air density for your current conditions. All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between TAS and IAS?
A: IAS is what the airspeed indicator shows, while TAS is the actual speed through the air mass after correcting for air density.

Q2: Why does air density affect airspeed?
A: Airspeed indicators measure dynamic pressure, which decreases with lower air density even at the same true speed.

Q3: How does altitude affect TAS?
A: At higher altitudes, with lower air density, TAS becomes increasingly higher than IAS for the same indicated reading.

Q4: What's a typical standard air density value?
A: 1.225 kg/m³ is standard sea level density in the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) model.

Q5: When is TAS most important?
A: Cruising at high altitudes where density differences are significant, and for accurate navigation calculations.