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.
—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.
—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.
—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.
—Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 21 Mar. 2021
Their service ceiling was 60,000 feet, stopping them from reaching the slow-moving unarmed reconnaissance plane.
—Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 4 Sep. 2019
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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.
—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.
—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.
—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.
—Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 21 Mar. 2021
Their service ceiling was 60,000 feet, stopping them from reaching the slow-moving unarmed reconnaissance plane.
—Alex Hollings, Popular Mechanics, 4 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Service ceiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/service%20ceiling. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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