Car Jump Distance Calculator

Car jump distance is the horizontal distance a car travels while airborne after launching off a ramp. It depends on the car's take-off speed, ramp angle, ramp height, and landing surface height. In stunt driving and movie productions, accurately predicting this distance is critical for safety.

The basic formula is D = (v² × sin(2θ)) / g for a flat launch and landing. When ramp heights differ, you solve the full projectile equations: x(t) = v·cos(θ)·t and y(t) = h₀ + v·sin(θ)·t − ½g·t². Air drag adds a velocity-dependent deceleration force F = ½·ρ·Cd·A·v², which reduces both range and peak height.

When a car leaves a ramp, the front wheels lift off first and lose contact with the surface, removing the normal force. The engine torque, angular momentum of spinning wheels, and the car's own moment of inertia cause the body to rotate about its center of mass. The rate of rotation depends on the net torque and the car's moment of inertia.

The landing angle is the angle of the car's velocity vector below the horizontal at the moment it touches the landing surface. A steep landing angle (e.g., 45°+) puts more stress on the suspension and increases the risk of nose-diving. Stunt drivers aim for landing angles under 20–25° for a safer, flatter touchdown.

Air drag creates a force opposing the car's motion proportional to the square of its speed, the drag coefficient, frontal area, and air density. This continuously reduces horizontal velocity and slightly alters vertical deceleration, shortening the jump distance compared to an ideal no-drag projectile. At typical stunt speeds (60–120 km/h), the effect can reduce range by 5–15%.

Car jumps are extremely dangerous and should only be performed by trained professional stunt drivers with proper safety equipment, medical personnel on site, and extensively engineered ramps. Even small deviations in speed or ramp alignment can result in catastrophic outcomes. This calculator is intended for educational and cinematic planning purposes only.

A rough estimate treats the car as a rectangular box: I ≈ (m/12)·(L² + H²), where m is mass, L is car length, and H is car height. More accurate values require detailed mass distribution data. For a typical 1400 kg passenger car (4.5 m long, 1.5 m tall), I ≈ roughly 3,800–5,000 kg·m².

For a flat landing at the same height as the take-off, the theoretical optimum is 45°. However, when landing is lower than the take-off (as is common in stunts), the optimal angle is less than 45°. When considering air drag, the optimal angle drops slightly further, typically to around 38–43° depending on speed and drag parameters.