What is the best thing we could do to increase our rate of descent?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Here’s how each option stacks up when considering how to maximize the rate of descent in an aircraft or glider scenario.

Option 1: 'Decrease speed and descend with power' — This choice suggests slowing the aircraft while keeping thrust/power applied. In many flight regimes, reducing speed while using power can actually limit the rate of descent because thrust must be used to balance weight, and excess thrust can hinder the descent rate. Additionally, descending with power tends to maintain a higher flight attitude and can reduce the efficiency of a rapid descent. This option is generally not the best way to maximize descent rate because it relies on thrust to drive the descent rather than utilizing drag and optimum airspeed.

Option 2: 'Decrease speed while descending' — Slowing down during descent can allow the aircraft to increase drag naturally (from higher angle of attack or deployed devices) but if you simply decrease speed without deploying drag devices, the descent rate may not increase and can even decrease due to continued lift. Without context on whether drag is being increased (such as with speed brakes), this approach does not guarantee the highest possible descent rate and can be less effective than combining drag with controlled speed.

Option 3: 'Use Speed Brakes' — Speed brakes (or spoilers) increase parasitic drag, which directly increases the rate of descent by reducing climb performance and allowing a steeper descent path for a given airspeed. However, without specifying appropriate speed, deploying speed brakes alone might not yield the maximum possible descent rate. It’s a key tool, but often most effective when paired with an appropriate airspeed strategy.

Option 4: 'Increase speed (with Idle Thrust) and use Speed Brakes' — This combination leverages two complementary mechanisms: keeping the engine at idle thrust minimizes thrust-induced lift and drag changes while maintaining forward speed, and deploying speed brakes adds significant drag to drive a steeper descent. The higher airspeed helps maintain stable control while still allowing the drag from speed brakes to produce a higher descent rate than using speed brakes at lower speeds. In many descent optimization scenarios, this pairing provides the best balance of controllability, energy management, and descent rate, making it the most effective option among the four.

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What is the best thing we could do to increase our rate of descent?

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