Airspeed

For the British aircraft manufacturer, see Airspeed Ltd.

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Airspeed refers to the speed of an aircraft in relation to the air; it is nearly always different from groundspeed, the speed of the aircraft in relation to the ground. The difference between airspeed and groundspeed is a function of the velocity and direction of the wind. Airspeed is important because it determines the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft.

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True airspeed (TAS) is the actual speed of the aircraft relative to the air around it, (or the speed of the air relative to the aircraft).

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For example, when stationary on the ground, true airspeed would be equal to the wind speed. True airspeed is typically very difficult to measure directly, and not normally displayed on an aircraft's instruments. It is, however, calculated as an intermediate step when predicting groundspeed.

British: The word British has several different uses. See the article on Britain for more details on the development and use of the word Britain....

Airspeed Ltd: This article describes the company Airspeed Ltd. For the technical concept, see Airspeed....

Aircraft: An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight....