ACFT - Basic Principles of Flight Flashcards
What is Mass? (1)
Quantity of matter in a body
What is Weight? (1)
The heaviness of matter
What types of speed are available during flight? (4)
IAS - What’s displayed directly to the pilot
TAS - The speed of the aircraft relative to the airmass
M - The velocity of the aircraft, relative to the local speed of sound
GS - The speed of the aircraft over the surface
What is Newton’s 3rd law? (1)
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
What is Bernoulli’s principle?? (2)
- Bernoulli’s principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure
- Conversely, a decrease in the speed of a fluid will occur simultaneously with an increase in static pressure
What is Lift and how does it act? (2)
Lift acts perpendicular (at 90°) to the airflow
What is Weight and where does it act? (1)
Weight acts through the centre of gravity of an aircraft
What is Thrust and where does it act? (2)
1.The force generated by the engine(s) giving the aircraft forward movement
2. Thrust acts through the Thrust Line of an aircraft
What is Drag and where does it act? (2)
- The resistance experienced by an aircraft as it moves relative to the air
- Drag acts through the Drag Line of an aircraft > This is parallel and opposite to Thrust
What are the 4 forces in flight? (4)
- Lift
- Weight
- Thrust
- Drag
In steady, straight and level flight… (2)
LIFT balances WEIGHT
THRUST balances DRAG
What happens in a turn? (3)
- WEIGHT always acts vertically down towards the Earth due to gravity.
- LIFT always acts perpendicular to the aerofoil.
- RESULTANT LIFT will be less than weight
What happens when an aircraft Accelerates? (2)
Airflow over the wings increases, resulting in increased lift, the aircraft climbs
Conversely…
As airflow over the wings decreases, lift reduces, the aircraft descends
