Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
That’s the speed your airspeed indicator shows based on ram air pressure in the pitot tube. Making the wing relatively flat on top with a blunter leading edge and more curvature on the bottom gives you a supercritical airfoil. Ailerons can suffer from a phenomenon called “aileron buzz” or control reversal at high Mach.
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