rate-of-climb indicator


rate-of-climb indicator

[′rāt əv ′klīm ′in·də‚kād·ər] (aerospace engineering) A device used to indicate changes in the vertical position of an aircraft by comparing the actual outside air pressure to a reference volume that lags the outside pressure because a calibrated restrictor imposes a lag-time constant to the reference pressure volume. Also known as rate-of-descent indicator; vertical speed indicator.

rate-of-climb indicator

An aircraft instrument indicating the rate of climb or descent in feet per minute or meters per second. The same as a vertical speed indicator,* or VSI.