11.5.1 Instument Systems/ Avionic Systems Flashcards
Where are the most important basic flight instruments located
The Basic T
What is not a part of the basic T but located bottom right to it
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
Hat is top right of the basic T
Altimeter - Indicates altitude of aircraft above sea level
What is top left of the basic T
Airspeed indicator - Shows speed which is a reference for all aerodynamic parameters influencing aircraft lift, drag and manoeuvrability
What is top middle of the Basic T
Artificial horizon - or attitude indication is integrated in the Attitude director indicator (ADI)
Shows pitch and roll altitude in relation to the horizon
What is bottom middle of the basic T
Compass or heading indication - Integrated in the Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)
Shows the direction of the aircraft on the longitudinal axis in relation to magnetic north
Apart from those in the basic T what additional flight instruments are there
- Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
- Mach meter
- Temperature indicators
What instruments (air data instruments) use air pressure from outside the aircraft
Altimeter and air speed indicator
What two pointers do most altimeters have as a minimum
100ft and 1000ft. Larger aircraft which fly at higher altitudes also have one for 10,000ft
How does a normal altimeter calculate altitude
They measure the static pressure of the atmosphere and indicate it in feet or meters
Hat happens to pressure if altitude increases
Pressure decreases
A pneumatic altimeter is usually found in small aircraft and as a standby in large aircraft. It has a sensitive pressure gauge, what is it called
Aneroid bellows
How does a pneumatic altimeter work
- Static pressure applied around the sealed case surrounds the bellows and compresses them
- The bellows deflection moves the instrument mechanism and turns the altitude pointer which shows the altitude on a scale calibrated in ft or meters
- The altimeter indication is calibrated to the standard atmosphere shown in a graph
Altimeters accuracy decreases with altitude so what is used on large aircraft to help rectify this
Large aircraft have bellows driven by the Air Data Computer (ADC) and use only electrical components such as motors, amplifiers or digital computers
To what conditions are altimeters calibrated to
Conditions of the standard atmosphere
What is the baro setting called
QNH
What is the actual pressure of the airport called (field elevation)
QFE
What is the transition altitude
The standard setting of 1013hpa must be selected during climb at a certain altitude called transition altitude
What is done with the altimeter setting when coming in for landing
It is set to either QNH or QFE of the destination to get the correct altitude indications for landing
What variable can be an issue with altimeter settings
Temperature. When it is cold clearance over mountains must be carefully monitored as the temperature can shift pressure levels giving the altitude a slightly different reading
On an airspeed indicator what line is connected to the bellows and what line is connected to the indicator case so it surrounds the bellows
Total pressure line is connected to the inside of the bellows and the static pressure is distributed to the indicator case so that it surrounds the bellows
Airspeed indicator
Low airspeed - ?
Medium speed - ?
High speed - ?
Low speed - the total pressure is low and the bellows are compressed
Medium speed - All mechanical parts are in the present position
High speed - the total pressure is high and the bellows expand
On small aircraft what are speed limits shown as on the airspeed indicator scale
They are marked with coloured ranges and lines
What is the green band on the digital airspeed indicator
Shows the normal operating range
What does the white band on the digital airspeed indicator mean
Full flap operating range
What does the yellow band mean on the digital airspeed indicator
The caution range. This speed must only be used in smooth air with out hard manoeuvres
In a jet aircraft what shows the maximum allowed speed of the aircraft
A red and black needle.
Piston aircraft have a fixed value
What is the maximum allowed airspeed called in a jet aircraft
Maximum operating velocity (VMO)
Jet aircraft don’t have a set number as the pressure changed in the aircraft at different altitudes
Other than the warnings on the airspeed indicator what other warnings would be relevant
Over speed and stall warning indicators which are independent
What does the Vertical speed indicator (VSI) show
Shows the pilot the rate of climb or decent in feet per minute.
The pressure difference on the inside and outside of the bellows acts on the instrument mechanism and moves the vertical speed pointer
What does the Mach meter indicate
The ratio of the aircrafts true airspeed to the actual speed of sound
All aircraft need this to fly safely at high altitudes
On all modern aircraft you can find temperature indications shown on Airbus ECAM, two temperatures are defined, what are they
- Static Air Temperature (SAT): this is the temperature of the undisturbed air around the aircraft, also called outside air temp (OAT)
- Total Air Temperature (TAT): it is measured directly from the TAT probe also called the Rosemont probe after the manufacturer. The probe guides the air stream around the sensing element called a thermistor
What basic T instruments need static pressure to indicate correct values
The altimeter, the airspeed indicator (AI) and the vertical speed indicator (VSI)
The indicators are connected together and are then connected to be static ports
Where are static ports located usually
In an area where smooth airflow allows an undisturbed measurement of the static pressure
What is the Static Source Error (SSE)
The difference between the measured and real static pressure
How does the aircraft static ports compensate for a side slip manoeuvre
One static port is installed on each side of the aircraft, both ports are connected together by the use of a cross porting tube which equalises the static pressure to the instruments
What is the pitot system used by
The airspeed indicator
What is inside the pitot tube to prevent water or foreign objects from entering it
A baffle
Where does the name pitot come from
The French scientist Henry pitot who first made calculations to measure airspeed
What is used to prevent ice build up on pitot tubes during flight
An electrical probe heater is used
Why must engineers be cautious when working near pitot tubes on the ground
They become very hot when the heaters are turned on
What do the pitot tubes sometimes contain
Static ports, they consist of small holes around the tube and are connected to the static system
What are pitot static tubes also called after the German invented
Prandtl
If the aircraft is being kept on the ground outside for a long amount of time, what must be done to the pitot tubes
They must be covered with a red cover with a flag.
What is the design of a pitot static system on small aircraft
- 1 airspeed indicator
- 1 altimeter
- 1 vertical speed indicator
The 3 indicators are supplied by a static pressure system with 2 static ports. The pitot pressure system supplies the airspeed indicators
Other than information from the static ports and pitot systems what else supplies data to the Mach meter, true airspeed indicator and air temperature
The Air Data Computer (ADC)