Aero 1: Basic Theory & Lift Flashcards
Vector
A quantity that expresses both magnitude and direction
Air Density
The total mass of air particles per unit volume
Moment
A rotational force around a point or axis
Steady Airflow
Airflow in which at every point in the moving air mass has constant pressure, density, temperature and velocity
Remember:
Train (temperature)
Passengers (pressure)
Don’t (density)
Vocalize (velocity)
Mean Camber Line
A line halfway between the upper and lower surface of an airfoil from leading edge to trailing edge
Chord
A measure of the chord line from the leading edge to the trailing edge of an airfoil
Camber
Max distance between the mean camber line and the chordline
Wingspan (b)
The length of a wing, measured from wingtip to wingtip
Wing Area (S)
The surface area of a wing from wingtip to wingtip
Chordwise Flow
Airflow perpendicular to the leading edge of an airfoil (along the chord of an airfoil)
Spanwise Flow
Airflow that travels the span of the wing, parallel to the leading edge, normally from root to tip
Pitch Attitude (θ)
The angle between the longitudinal axis of the airplane and the horizon
Flight Path
The path described by an airplane’s center of gravity as it moves through an air mass
Relative Wind
The airflow experienced by the aircraft as it flies through the air
(Always opposite direction of flight path which is dependent on center of gravity)
Angle of Attack (AOA)
The angle between the relative wind and the chord line of the airfoil
Angle of Incidence
The angle between the airplane’s longitudinal axis and the chord line of its wing
Center of Gravity
The point at which the weight of an object is considered to be concentrated
Aerodynamic Center
The point along the chord line of an airfoil where all changes in aerodynamic force effectively take place
Max Coefficient of Lift (Cʟmᴀx)
The max value for the coefficient of lift as the AOA increases
What are the different types of airspeeds?
Indicated Airspeed
Calibrated Airspeed
Equivalent Airspeed
True Airspeed
Groundspeed
Indicated Airspeed
The instrument indication for the amount of dynamic pressure that the aircraft is creating during some given flight condition
Calibrated Airspeed
IAS corrected for instrument/position error
Equivalent Airspeed
The true airspeed at sea level on a standard day that produces the same dynamic pressure as the actual aircraft condition
(CAS corrected for compressibility)
True Airspeed
The velocity of an aircraft with respect to the air mass in which it is traveling in
(EAS corrected for density)
