What are contrails used for?
What are contrails used for?
The nature and persistence of jet contrails can be used to predict the weather. A thin, short-lived contrail indicates low-humidity air at high altitude, a sign of fair weather, whereas a thick, long-lasting contrail reflects humid air at high altitudes and can be an early indicator of a storm.
What are the two types of contrails?
They occur when water condenses into a cloud – in either liquid or ice-crystal form. Contrails come in two varieties: aerodynamic and exhaust contrails.
Do prop planes make contrails?
Contrails can be formed by propeller or jet turbine powered aircraft. The contrails formed by the exhaust at high altitude are typically white and very similar to cirrus clouds. As the exhaust gases expand and mix with the atmosphere, the contrail diffuses and spreads.
Do fighter jets leave contrails?
Not just stealth aircraft, most military aircraft are required to avoid contrails. Contrails form due to moisture in the aircraft’s exhaust. A tried and tested method by NASA is NOT to fly in regions of air that support contrail formation.
Why do contrails look different?
However, the spreading occurs due to the air mass being unstable or turbulent. This turbulence dissipates the dense contrail lines and spreads them over a wide area, giving them a more cloud-like appearance. Wingtip vortices (Img.
Do military jets leave contrails?
How do exhaust contrails form?
Contrails form when hot humid air from jet exhaust mixes with environmental air of low vapor pressure and low temperature. The mixing is a result of turbulence generated by the engine exhaust. Cloud formation by a mixing process is similar to the cloud you see when you exhale and “see your breath”.
Do commercial jets leave contrails?
Contrails don’t form for every airplane. The atmosphere where the plane is flying needs to have low vapor pressure and low temperature.
Do turboprops leave contrails?
4 Answers. Contrails originate from condensation of vapor coming from internal combustion engines, regardless of being turboprop, turbojet/turbofan or cylinder engine. Vapor is a byproduct of the hydrocarbon (fuel) being combusted with the atmospheric oxygen.