Podcast
Questions and Answers
What happens to the altimeter reading when flying from an area of high pressure to low pressure without adjustment?
What happens to the altimeter reading when flying from an area of high pressure to low pressure without adjustment?
What is the primary force that opposes the forward motion of an aircraft?
What is the primary force that opposes the forward motion of an aircraft?
How does a high aspect ratio wing design primarily affect aircraft performance?
How does a high aspect ratio wing design primarily affect aircraft performance?
What is the critical angle of attack in terms of stall conditions?
What is the critical angle of attack in terms of stall conditions?
Signup and view all the answers
Which principle explains the generation of lift due to pressure differences over a wing?
Which principle explains the generation of lift due to pressure differences over a wing?
Signup and view all the answers
How does parasite drag primarily change as an aircraft's speed increases?
How does parasite drag primarily change as an aircraft's speed increases?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the result of turning the pressure knob of an altimeter to the left?
What is the result of turning the pressure knob of an altimeter to the left?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following describes the relationship between lift and angle of attack?
Which of the following describes the relationship between lift and angle of attack?
Signup and view all the answers
Which factor does NOT affect the amount of lift generated by an aircraft?
Which factor does NOT affect the amount of lift generated by an aircraft?
Signup and view all the answers
What effect does a higher aspect ratio of a wing have on drag?
What effect does a higher aspect ratio of a wing have on drag?
Signup and view all the answers
What occurs when weight is positioned ahead of lift in an aircraft?
What occurs when weight is positioned ahead of lift in an aircraft?
Signup and view all the answers
Which type of drag is primarily a result of lift-generating components like wings?
Which type of drag is primarily a result of lift-generating components like wings?
Signup and view all the answers
Which wing design feature affects lift and stall characteristics based on its appearance from above?
Which wing design feature affects lift and stall characteristics based on its appearance from above?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the angle of incidence optimize for in an airplane?
What does the angle of incidence optimize for in an airplane?
Signup and view all the answers
Which axis is controlled by the elevators in an airplane?
Which axis is controlled by the elevators in an airplane?
Signup and view all the answers
What is defined as the aircraft's ability to return to steady flight after being disturbed?
What is defined as the aircraft's ability to return to steady flight after being disturbed?
Signup and view all the answers
Which effect causes a left-turning tendency in an aircraft?
Which effect causes a left-turning tendency in an aircraft?
Signup and view all the answers
What component must be increased to maintain altitude during a turn?
What component must be increased to maintain altitude during a turn?
Signup and view all the answers
What characterizes a spiral dive?
What characterizes a spiral dive?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the first step in recovering from a spiral dive?
What is the first step in recovering from a spiral dive?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the airspeed in a spiral dive compare with that in a spin?
How does the airspeed in a spiral dive compare with that in a spin?
Signup and view all the answers
What happens to the stall speed of an aircraft as its weight increases?
What happens to the stall speed of an aircraft as its weight increases?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following factors decreases stall speed?
Which of the following factors decreases stall speed?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary action to initiate recovery from a spin?
What is the primary action to initiate recovery from a spin?
Signup and view all the answers
What does V_NO represent in airspeed limitations?
What does V_NO represent in airspeed limitations?
Signup and view all the answers
Which step is essential for stall recovery?
Which step is essential for stall recovery?
Signup and view all the answers
During which phase is a spin characterized by predictable rates of rotation?
During which phase is a spin characterized by predictable rates of rotation?
Signup and view all the answers
How does surface contamination, such as frost or ice, affect stall speed?
How does surface contamination, such as frost or ice, affect stall speed?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of V_FE in airspeed limitations?
What is the purpose of V_FE in airspeed limitations?
Signup and view all the answers
What happens to the airspeed indicator if the PITOT system is blocked during a climb?
What happens to the airspeed indicator if the PITOT system is blocked during a climb?
Signup and view all the answers
Which instrument is affected by a blocked STATIC system by freezing at its current reading?
Which instrument is affected by a blocked STATIC system by freezing at its current reading?
Signup and view all the answers
What kind of power source can gyroscopic instruments operate on?
What kind of power source can gyroscopic instruments operate on?
Signup and view all the answers
What principle allows a gyroscopic instrument to maintain its position despite gimbal movement?
What principle allows a gyroscopic instrument to maintain its position despite gimbal movement?
Signup and view all the answers
How does a sudden acceleration affect the attitude indicator?
How does a sudden acceleration affect the attitude indicator?
Signup and view all the answers
Which gyroscopic instrument shows the relationship between the wings and nose of the airplane with the horizon?
Which gyroscopic instrument shows the relationship between the wings and nose of the airplane with the horizon?
Signup and view all the answers
What happens to the Vertical Speed Indicator if the STATIC system is blocked?
What happens to the Vertical Speed Indicator if the STATIC system is blocked?
Signup and view all the answers
Which property of gyroscopic instruments refers to the reaction of a force applied to a spinning gyroscope?
Which property of gyroscopic instruments refers to the reaction of a force applied to a spinning gyroscope?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Forces Acting on an Aircraft
- Thrust: Force propelling aircraft forward, generated by engines and propellers
-
Drag: Opposes forward motion, categorized as:
- Induced Drag: Generated by lift-producing components (wings)
- Parasite Drag: Non-lift-related drag, including form drag and skin friction
- Lift: Upward force opposing weight, generated by wings through air pressure differences
- Weight: Downward force due to gravity, pulling the aircraft towards Earth
Lift
- Bernoulli's Principle: Faster airflow over the wing's curved surface creates lower pressure above, lifting the aircraft
- Newton's Third Law: Deflecting airflow downwards results in an upward lift force
- Factors Affecting Lift: Air density, velocity, wing surface area, and angle of attack. Higher velocity and larger wings increase lift
Drag
- Induced Drag: Caused by wingtip vortices, prevalent at slow speeds and high angles of attack
- Parasite Drag: Increases with speed, consisting of form drag (caused by shape), skin friction, and interference drag
- Ground Effect: Reduced drag near the ground as wingtip vortices are restricted
Thrust
- Generated by propellers or jet engines, overcomes drag
- Adjusting thrust controls airspeed
Weight
- Acts through the center of gravity, balancing lift
- Improper distribution affects flight stability and performance
Couples
- Formed when forces like weight, lift, drag, and thrust act at parallel but separate points, creating turning moments
- Weight ahead of lift causes nose pitch down
- Drag above thrust causes nose pitch up
Wing Design
- Airfoil Camber: Affects lift, deeper camber providing higher lift but more drag
- Planform: Shape of the wing from above, affecting lift and stall characteristics (rectangular, tapered, elliptical, delta)
- Aspect Ratio: Ratio of wingspan to chord length influencing induced drag. Higher aspect ratios reduce drag
- Angle of Incidence: Fixed angle between wing chord line and airplane's longitudinal axis, optimized for efficient cruising
Axes of the Airplane
- Longitudinal Axis (Roll): Controlled by ailerons, affecting banking and rolling movements. Lateral stability
- Lateral Axis (Pitch): Controlled by elevators, affecting nose-up or nose-down movements. Longitudinal stability
- Vertical Axis (Yaw): Controlled by the rudder, affecting left or right yaw movements. Directional stability
Stability
- Affected by weight distribution, wing design, and control surface location
- Dynamic Stability: Aircraft's ability to return to steady flight after disturbance. Poor balance between forces leads to instability
Propeller Effects
- Torque: Propeller rotation causes a left-turning tendency countered by the rudder
- P-Factor: Asymmetric thrust at high angles of attack causes yawing
- Slipstream: Spiraling air from the propeller striking the tail causing yaw. Corrected with trim tabs or rudder
Climbing and Gliding
- Climbing: Achieved by increasing angle of attack and applying power. Steady rate of climb establishes equilibrium.
- Gliding: Controlled descent without engine power, using angle of descent and balance of lift, drag, and weight. Best glide speed maximizes range.
Turns
- Lift is divided into vertical and horizontal components
- The horizontal component acts as centripetal force, turning the airplane
- The vertical component must be increased by pulling back on controls to maintain altitude
Spiral Dives
- Steep, descending turn with excessive nose-down attitude
- Rapidly increasing airspeed and rate of descent
- Characteristics: Excessive angle of bank, rapidly increasing airspeed, rapid descent
- Differences from Spins: Airspeed continuously increases in spiral dive, remains low and constant in a spin
- Dangers: Risk of structural damage, high load factors during recovery
- Recovery: Close throttle, level wings, ease out of dive, resume straight and level flight
Airspeed Limitations
- V_S (Stall Speed): Minimum speed for maintaining steady flight
- V_A (Maneuvering Speed): Maximum speed for safe abrupt control deflection or operation in turbulence. Decreases with reduced weight
- V_FE (Flaps Extended Speed): Maximum speed permissible with flaps extended
- V_NO (Maximum Structural Cruising Speed): Maximum safe speed for normal operations, designed for structural integrity in turbulent air
- V_NE (Never Exceed Speed): Maximum speed for safe operation in smooth air, preventing structural failure
Stalls
- Factors Affecting Stalls: Weight, center of gravity, turbulence, turns, flaps, surface contamination (frost or ice)
- Stall Recovery: Lower nose, increase airspeed, return to stable flight conditions
Spins
- Aircraft enters autorotation after stalling, characterized by simultaneous yaw, roll, and pitch around a spin axis
- Stages of a Spin: Incipient Spin (stall to establishing spin), Developed Spin (stabilized with predictable rates), Recovery (breaking the spin)
- Recovery Procedure: Idle power, neutralize ailerons, apply full rudder opposite spin, push control column forward, neutralize rudder and level wings once rotation stops
Pitot-Static Instruments
- Airspeed Indicator: Uses pitot and static sources
- Altimeter: Uses only static source
- Vertical Speed Indicator: Uses only static source
-
Pitot Tube: Has three openings
- Pitot source: Measures total pressure
- Static source: Measures static pressure
- Third opening: Equalizes pressures during pre-flight checks
-
If Pitot System is Blocked:
- Airspeed Indicator: Over-reads in climb, under-reads in descent
- Altimeter: No effect
- Vertical Speed Indicator: No effect
-
If Static System is Blocked:
- Airspeed Indicator: Under-reads in climb, over-reads in descent
- Altimeter: Freezes at current reading
- Vertical Speed Indicator: Stays at 0
Gyroscopic Instruments
- Rotor rotating at high speed in a universal mounting (gimbal)
- Types: Attitude Indicator, Heading Indicator/Directional Gyro, Turn Coordinator
- Powered by: Vacuum, positive air pressure pump, or battery (electrical source)
-
Principles:
- Rigidity in Space (Gyroscopic Inertia): Tendency of rotating object to remain in its plane of rotation
- Gyroscopic Precession: Force applied to a spinning gyroscope causes reaction 90 degrees away in the direction of rotation
Attitude Indicator
- Also Known As: Artificial Horizon
- Function: Provides artificial horizon reference when natural horizon is obscured
- Gyroscopic Property: Inertia (rigidity in space)
- Power Source: Usually vacuum, some electrically driven
- Shows: Degrees of pitch (nose up/nose down) and wing bank angle
Attitude Indicator Limitations
- Requires at least 4" of suction for operational speed
- Acceleration Error: Sudden acceleration causes "pitch up," deceleration causes "pitch down"
Heading Indicator
- Mounted vertically, spins about its horizontal axis
- Errors: Subject to precession errors, causing drift
- Corrections: Gyro needs regular resetting using magnetic compass
Turn Coordinator
- Combination of a turn indicator and a slip/skid indicator
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
