Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the function of a propeller on an aircraft?
What is the function of a propeller on an aircraft?
What does the angle of attack refer to in relation to an aircraft's wing?
What does the angle of attack refer to in relation to an aircraft's wing?
Which aspect of an airfoil shape helps in producing better lift than any other form of wings?
Which aspect of an airfoil shape helps in producing better lift than any other form of wings?
How does a propeller provide thrust to an aircraft?
How does a propeller provide thrust to an aircraft?
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What is the angle of incidence in relation to an aircraft's wing?
What is the angle of incidence in relation to an aircraft's wing?
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What does the term 'camber' refer to when discussing an aerofoil's cross-section?
What does the term 'camber' refer to when discussing an aerofoil's cross-section?
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Which term refers to a line joining the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil equidistant from the upper and lower surfaces?
Which term refers to a line joining the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil equidistant from the upper and lower surfaces?
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Study Notes
Basic Parts of an Airplane
- The fuselage is the main body of a glider or an airplane, housing the flight crew, passengers, and cargo.
- Wings are responsible for generating lift, which balances the weight of the plane, allowing it to fly.
- The tail or stabilizer is attached at the rear end of the glider, providing stability and control to the vertical up-down movement of the nose.
Stabilizers and Control Surfaces
- Elevators are attached to the horizontal stabilizer to control the climb or descent of an aircraft.
- Rudder is attached to the vertical stabilizer, defining horizontal flight (turning or yawing motion), and providing directional control.
- Ailerons are attached to the trailing edge of the wing, controlling the rolling (or banking) motion of an aircraft.
Aerodynamics
- Aerodynamics deals with the motion and forces acting on a body moving in air.
- The four aerodynamic forces that act on an airplane in flight are thrust, drag, lift, and weight.
- For an airplane to take off or climb, thrust must be greater than drag, and lift must be greater than weight.
- In straight and level flight, the opposing forces of lift and gravity are balanced.
Forces Acting on an Airplane
- Weight is the weight of the airplane acting downwards due to the force of gravity.
- Thrust is a mechanical force generated by the engine to move the aircraft forward.
- Lift is a mechanical force generated by a solid object moving through a fluid, acting through the center of pressure, perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow.
- Drag is a resisting force to the motion of an aircraft due to its relative motion with air flow.
Motion of an Airplane
- Pitch motion is the up-down movement of the nose of the airplane.
- Yaw motion is the turning or horizontal movement of the airplane.
- Roll motion is the banking or rotating motion of the airplane.
Airfoil and Lift
- An airfoil is the shape that conforms to the streamlines of the flow and prevents wake formation as far as possible.
- The airfoil shape produces better lift than any other form of the wing.
- Lift is generated when air flows past the curved surface of the wing, resulting in a difference in air pressure above and below the wing.
Terminologies
- Camber line is a line joining the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil, equidistant from the upper and lower surfaces.
- Camber is the asymmetry between the top and the bottom curves of an aerofoil in cross-section.
- Angle of incidence is the angle between the fuselage axis and the wing chord length.
- Angle of attack is the angle the wind makes with the wing (relative wind).
- Dihedral angle is the angle between one of the wings and the horizontal plane in which the fuselage axis is situated.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the basic parts of an airplane such as fuselage and wings, as well as different motions like rolling and yaw motion. Learn about the main body structure of a glider and the role of wings in generating lift.
