Definition
V2 is the minimum airspeed at which a multi-engine transport-category airplane can safely climb after liftoff with one engine inoperative. It must be reached by 35 feet above the runway surface during a takeoff in which an engine fails at or after V1, and it provides a guaranteed climb gradient with the remaining engine(s) producing thrust.
Plain English
V2 is the speed the airplane must be flying by the time it is 35 feet off the ground, even if one engine has just quit. At that speed, the airplane is guaranteed to keep climbing safely on the engines that are still working.
Context Anchor
Seen in V-speed lists, takeoff briefings, performance charts, and multiengine takeoff procedures.
Derivation
The 'V' comes from the French 'vitesse,' meaning speed — the standard label for certified airplane speeds. The '2' simply marks it as the second key takeoff speed in the V1, VR, V2 sequence.
Why Pilots Care
It guarantees obstacle clearance and continued flight capability when an engine fails at the most critical moment of takeoff.
Intuition Check
V2 does not mean any speed that merely feels safe after takeoff. It is a specific published or calculated takeoff speed used for the initial climb, especially when engine-out performance matters.
Example Sentence 1
The crew briefed that if an engine failed after V1, they would rotate at VR and hold V2 until clear of obstacles.
Example Sentence 2
With the left engine failed after V1, the pilot flew at V2 to achieve the published single-engine climb gradient.