Aerodynamics Flashcards
4-forces of flight
Lift, Weight, Thrust, Drag
How is lift created?
Bernoulli principle…
faster airflow = lower pressure
Newton’s 3rd law…
action - airfoil (wing) turns airflow down
re-action - airflow pushes wing up
Draw an airfoil and explain chord line, relative wind, and angle of attack.
Draw an airfoil with low AOA, higher AOA, and beyond critical AOA. Depict laminar and turbulent airflow.
Explain relationship between AOA and…
…lift.
…drag.
Explain how angle of attack is NOT the same as pitch angle.
Two types of drag
Parasite and induced drag
Explain the relationship between parasite drag and airspeed. Draw a graph to illustrate.
Explain the relationship between induced drag and airspeed. Draw a graph to illustrate.
Explain the relationship between total drag and airspeed. Draw a graph including L/D max.
U-shaped curve. L/D max is at the minimum.
Explain the relationship between the four forces of flight and when they are in equilibrium.
Types of parasite drag
Form
Skin
Interference
Illustrate induced drag.
Draw an airfoil including relative wind, downwash, vortices, average relative wind, lift vector components. Show relationship of induced drag with higher AOA, increased vortices and downwash, and in/out of ground effect. Make a connection of lowered speed > higher AoA > greater induced drag.
Using a model airplane, explain the relationship of airspeed and AOA during level flight.
What is a stall? What causes it? What are the indicators? Recovery?
What’s a spin? Causes? Indicators? Recovery?
Spin avoidance. Common scenarios?
Phases of a spin?
Aerodynamics (ground)
Slipstream
- pushes tail right
- yaw nose left
Torque
- equal opposite reaction
- props CW, airplane CCW
- rolls left > yaws left (drag)
Aerodynamics (Lift off)
P-Factor
at high AOA (CW rotating propeller)… right descending blade produces more thrust than the left ascending blade.
Airplane will rotate about its center of mass. Because thrust line is offset to the right, the airplane will yaw left.
Accelerated Slipstream
aka Induced Lift.
The prop wash / slipstream encounters the wing and produces/induces more lift.
Because the center of thrust / slipstream is offset to the right, then the induced lift is also offset right, that causes the airplane to roll left
Spiral Slipstream
The slipstream / prop wash (primarily from the left engine) tends to spiral around the fuselage and hit the left side of the vertical tail > pushes tail right > nose yaws left
Torque
Equal and opposite reaction
Props CW > Airplane CCW > left roll
Spiral Slipstream (airspeed effect)