what is the km/hr(mph) of 1 Mach on Mars?

[bonzelite]

as the speed of sound is relative to the medium it travels in (for example, it is different on the earth at sea level compared to the top of mt. everest), what would it be at 'sea level' on mars? <br /><br />bear in mind, too, that the air on mars is extremely thin, dry and mostly CO2. <br /><br />furthermore, to create aerodynamic lift, any craft with an aerofoil would need to be accelerated to even higher velocities in this thinner, colder, atmospheric condition for it's surface area to be effective. <br /><br />what would then be the bare minimum velocity to generate this aerodynamic effect, ie, lift or negative lift, given 'x' surface area?

 

[tmccort]

If your curious about what it's like the fly on Mars you can download the full featured demo of X-Plane simulator here: http://www.x-plane.com/demo.html<br /><br />The only thing the "demo" lacks is that on Earth your limited to Southern California and Mars, the joystick is disabled after 6 minutes though as well. It comes with lots of Airplanes and two specific to Mars, but with the included Plane-Maker program you can make you own designs.<br /><br />To take-off on Mars you need to be going damn fast and once you do, it's pretty hard to make an kind of change in direction for turning.<br /><br />Landing? Well that's a problem...

 

[bonzelite]

that is awesome. <br /><br />at 1mach [mars], then, how would the craft be able to turn effectively in the low density air, at 1/3 earth gravity, such that its inertial mass would not prevent it from changing course? <br /><br />correction assist thrusters, for example, would scarcely effect the thin air enough to overcome inertia. unless the rudder control/surface area was huge enough? yes?<br /><br />what do you think?

 

[tmccort]

Attitude control thrusters would be able to point the nose of the aircraft around but that doesn't change the direction that the plane itself is traveling.<br /><br />The Mars planes that come with the simulator are small wing, high speed rocket planes so I'm curious to see how a light, lowspeed, large winged aircraft performs.