Display of VMC(A)[edit]

Fig. 5. Airspeed
indicator of a small
twinengine airplane
wit! red radial line
indicating t!e
standardi"ed VMC(A)#
and a $l%e radial line
indicating t!e $est rate
of clim$ speed V&'(.
)n t!e airspeed indicator of *art +, twinengine airplanes of less t!an +-++ .g or /000 l$
ma1im%m weig!t# t!e standardi"ed AFMp%$lis!ed VMC(A) is indicated $y a red radial
line# in t!e e1ample of Fig%re 5 at 20 .t# in accordance wit! +,.3545 of A5iation
6eg%lations.[3] [+]

Fig. /. *lacard listing VMC(A) %sed in *art +, comm%ter airplanes (7/000 l$). 8otice
t!e placard does not s!ow for w!ic! $an. angle t!is VMC(A) is 5alid.
9n comm%ter *art +, airplanes of more t!an +-++ .g or /000 l$ ma1im%m weig!t# t!e
placard s!own in Fig%re / is to $e installed in f%ll 5iew of pilots of to comply wit!
+,.35/, of A5iation 6eg%lations.[3] [+]
:ea5ier *art +5[3] [+] airplanes now %se V6 and V+# instead of VMC(A). At low gross
weig!t !owe5er# VMC(A) and t!e conditions for VMC(A) to $e 5alid may still $e of
concern.
VMC(A) applies $efore and after fail%re of any of t!e engines# critical or non# and for any
config%ration or as specified $y t!e man%fact%rer# d%ring ta.eoff# $%t also d%ring t!e
remainder of t!e flig!t.
VMCA3 and VMCA+[edit]
Fo%r or more engine airplanes not only !a5e a VMC(A)# also called VMCA3 w!ere t!e
critical engine alone is inoperati5e (n3)# $%t also a VMCA+ for w!en t!e critical engine
and t!e engine in$oard on t!e same wing are $ot! inoperati5e (n+). Ci5il A5iation
6eg%lations (FA6# C' and e;%i5alent) no longer re;%ire a VMCA+ rating#[3] [+] alt!o%g!
it is still re;%ired for military airplanes wit! fo%r or more engines.[2] )n
t%r$o<et=t%r$ofan airplanes# t!e o%t$oard engines are %s%ally e;%ally critical. >!ree
engine airplanes s%c! as t!e MD33 or ?8+ >rislander do not !a5e a VMCA+@ a failed
centerline engine !as no effect on t!r%st asymmetry or# t!erefore# on VMC.
A!en two opposing engines of airplanes wit! fo%r or more engines are inoperati5e# t!ere
is no t!r%st asymmetry# !ence t!ere is no r%dder re;%irement for maintaining steady
straig!t flig!t# and t!erefore no VMC(A) t!ere may $e less power a5aila$le to maintain
flig!t o5erall# $%t t!e minim%m safe control speeds remain t!e same as t!ey wo%ld $e for
an aircraft $eing flown at 50B t!rottle on all fo%r engines.
Fail%re of a single in$oard engine# from a set of fo%r# !as a m%c! smaller effect on
controlla$ility# and does not recei5e a separate rating@ so long as speed is maintained at or
a$o5e VMC(A) as determined for t!e critical engine# safe control can $e maintained.
Cimitations t!at apply to VMC(A)[edit]
>!e conse;%ence of t!e tail design met!od is t!at t!e (small) $an. angle re;%irement for
maintaining control and performance w!ile an engine is inoperati5e needs to $e
comm%nicated to t!e pilots. >!ey need to $e made aware t!at t!e 5ertical tail is not large
eno%g! for maintaining control w!en t!e small $an. angle is not $eing maintained (w!ile
t!e t!r%st is !ig! and t!e r%dder is ma1im%m for maintaining t!e !eading)# not e5en at
airspeeds a$o5e t!e p%$lis!ed (and redlined) VMC(A) (Fig%re 5). 8ot maintaining t!e
small $an. angle increases t!e sideslip# !ence drag# decreasing t!e performance# $%t also
increases VMC(A)@ loss of control and=or loss of clim$ performance are 5ery li.ely to
occ%r. >!e 5ertical tail is not si"ed large eno%g! to maintain control d%ring t%rns at
airspeeds as low as VMC(A) w!ile t!e t!r%st of t!e opposite engine is ma1im%m.
'afe t%rns at low speed w!ile an engine is inoperati5e[edit]
For t%rning safely w!ile t!e asymmetrical t!r%st is !ig!# altit%de s!o%ld $e gained first
d%ring steady straig!t flig!t to allow for some altit%de loss d%ring t%rns $eca%se of t!e
increased sideslip (drag) d%ring t%rns. 9t is safer to red%ce t!e t!r%st a little d%ring t!e
t%rns to red%ce t!e t!r%st yawing moment and re;%ired r%dder and t!erewit! red%ce t!e
Dact%alD VMC(A). 9n addition# w!en t!e t!r%st is asymmetrical# a long straig!tin approac!
s!o%ld $e considered# rat!er t!an a tig!t final t%rn d%ring w!ic! t!e t!r%st mig!t !a5e to
$e increased to ma1im%m and control will $e lost $eca%se act%al VMC(A) increases
a$o5e t!e cali$rated airspeed (Fig%re 4).
)nline (ngine)%t >rainer[edit]
>!e Eni5ersity of 8ort! Da.ota presents an online (ngineo%t trainer to demonstrate t!e
effects of se5eral 5aria$les on VMC(A) and pro5ides additional clarification in te1t
$loc.s.[