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service ceiling
noun
: the altitude at which under standard air conditions a particular aircraft can no longer rise at a rate greater than a small designated rate (such as 100 feet per minute)
Examples of service ceiling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Related Stories The Chinese surveillance balloon was flying at an altitude of 60,000 feet, above the service ceiling of most combat aircraft.
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Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 22 Feb. 2023
The Su-57 is expected to field new Izdeliye 30 engines in the future, but even with the less powerful AL-41F turbojet engines that current Felons operate, the fighter is capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, with a service ceiling of 66,000 feet, and a rate of climb of 1,180 feet per second.
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Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 6 Dec. 2020
The plane will have a top speed of around 237 miles per hour at 8,000 feet, a cruising radius of 2,200 miles, and a service ceiling of around 23,000 feet.
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Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 3 June 2021
Accommodating a pilot and four passengers, the LAR-01 has a 4,078-pound maximum takeoff weight, with a service ceiling of 46,000 feet.
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Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 18 May 2021
While America’s Sabres were often seen as a match for the MiG-15, the MiG’s service ceiling of nearly 51,000 feet bested the American fighter’s by almost 2,000 feet.
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Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 21 Mar. 2021
Their service ceiling was 60,000 feet, stopping them from reaching the slow-moving unarmed reconnaissance plane.
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Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 4 Sep. 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
1920, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near service ceiling
Cite this Entry
“Service ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20ceiling. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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