26 Questions
Which axis does yaw movement represent?
Vertical axis
What controls the pitch of the glider?
Stick
What does positive dynamic and static stability mean?
The glider reduces its oscillations with time
Which forces act upon an aircraft during straight-and-level flight?
Lift, gravity, thrust, and drag
What happens to the potential energy of a glider as it glides downward?
It is converted into kinetic energy
What is the force of gravity measured in?
Pounds or kilograms
Which type of wing planform minimizes induced drag?
Elliptical
What is the purpose of a turbulator on a glider wing?
To delay separation of the boundary layer
What causes interference drag on a glider?
Interaction of varied air currents
What is induced drag?
Drag caused by wing lift
Which type of drag increases with the square of speed?
Parasite drag
What causes form drag?
The turbulent wake caused by the separation of airflow from the surface of a structure
What is the main cause of skin friction drag?
The roughness of the glider's surfaces
Which type of boundary layer creates more skin friction drag?
Turbulent boundary layer
According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What is the reaction produced when the air is deflected downward?
An upward reaction
What is the objective of a glider pilot?
To remain in air rising faster than the glider must descend
What is the mathematical relationship between lift and airspeed?
Lift is proportional to the square of airspeed
What is the coefficient of lift?
The ratio of lift pressure to dynamic pressure and area
Which of the following is true about the glide polar graph?
It details the glider's still air sink rate at different airspeeds.
What can be determined from the glide polar graph?
The glider's best lift/drag (L/D) speed.
What is the minimum sink speed?
The airspeed at which the glider loses altitude at the lowest rate.
How does adding water ballast affect the glide polar graph?
It shifts the graph down and to the right.
Which type of wing design is more efficient in terms of LD, but has the potential to cause loss of control with little warning?
Elliptical Wing
Which type of wing design is similar in efficiency to the elliptical wing, but creates more induced drag than the elliptical wing of comparable size?
Rectangular Wing
Which type of wing design is used to allow the lifting area of the wing to move forward, while keeping the mounting point aft of the cockpit?
Swept-Forward Wing
Which type of wing design produces less drag than the rectangular wing, assuming equal wing area?
Tapered Wing
Test your knowledge of glide polar graphs and their significance in a glider's flight manual. Learn how to estimate glide ratios and understand the relationship between airspeed and sink rate. Take the quiz now!
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