We all know that wing-propeller planes rely on air to create a thrust. They suck the air in and push them back hard that it's opposite reaction pushes the plane (Newton's law).
Does that mean wing-propeller struggles up at high altitude because of the low pressure of the air ?
Same question for jet engine.
Best Answer
Yes it's called the absolute ceiling. This is the highest altitude at which an aircraft can sustain level flight. When a plane reaches this height the thrust of the engines at full power is equal to the total drag at minimum drag speed. This occurs where the maximum thrust available equals the minimum thrust required, so the altitude where the maximum sustained (with no decreasing airspeed) rate of climb is zero.
The service ceiling is lower and has some safety margin built in. This is the height where the rate of climb is not zero so the craft still has some maneuverability. Most commercial jetliners have a service (or certificated) ceiling of about 42,000 feet and some business jets about 51,000 feet. Many military jets are able to fly substanitally higher but it is classified. The SR71 in 1976 published a world record 85,135 feet, however I'm sure they and some others can go higher.
All propeller based aircraft have much lower ceilings and they vary widely with design of the craft. The Turboprop aircraft with the highest altitude ceiling is the Lockheed P-3 ORION, which has a maximum cruise altitude of 55,000 ft.
There is a trade off point because as the air gets less dense the plane can travel faster. So many planes climb to the 20,000+ height for less drag but still enough pressure for efficient thrust.