Aeronautics Flashcards

1
Q

How was the term aeronautics derived?

A

Aero – referring to flight

Nautics – referring to ships and sailing

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2
Q

How does NASA define aeronautics?

A

The science of atmospheric flight

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3
Q

What are the three types of lift?

A

Buoyant
Aerodynamic
Direct

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4
Q

What is buoyant lift?

A

When an object is less than the weight of the medium it is displaced in, it will experience a buoyant force
Done with hot air, hydrogen or helium

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5
Q

How does helium weigh compared to air?

A

Helium is 1/5 weight of air

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6
Q

How does hydrogen weigh compared to air?

A

Hydrogen is 1/7 weight of air

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7
Q

How are balloons manipulated?

A

By manipulating how hot the air is, various altitudes can be reached
No control surfaces
Used for recreation and adventure sectors

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8
Q

What are the two types of airships?

A

Blimps - Gas bags that maintain their shape through internal pressure of the bag
Dirigibles - Rigid frames with gas cells split throughout the aircraft
Controlled with engines and control surfaces

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9
Q

Advantages of LTA?

A

Most efficient type of lift
Versatile to design
VTOL capability
Some safety aspects (engine failure less consequence, and collision is absorbed by frame)

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10
Q

Disadvantages of LTA?

A
Slow
Helium is inert but expensive
Hydrogen is cheap but flammable
Low alt limit
Public safety concerns
Wind issues
Large hangar spaces required
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11
Q

Cause of the Hindenburg disaster?

A

Lacquer used on the fabric ignited under static discharge with the mooring mast

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12
Q

What is a monoplane?

A

One wing structure

Lift generaated through aerofoils of the wing

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13
Q

What is a biplane?

A

Two wing design with aerofoils

De Havilland Tiger Moth

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14
Q

What is a triplane?

A

Three wings with aerfoil shapes

Fokker Triplane

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15
Q

What is a multiplane?

A

Multiple wings with aerofoil shapes

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16
Q

Advantages of aeroplanes?

A
Design allows fastest out of the categories
Not alt limited (except by engine)
Long range
More efficient than direct lift
less wind effect
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17
Q

Disadvantages of aeroplanes?

A
Limited design by shape
Cannot Hover
Can only go fast
Restricted view
Require runways
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18
Q

What theory is direct lift based on?

A

Newton’s third law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction
Aircraft generates a down forces, thus producing an upwards reaction

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19
Q

Purpose of main & tail rotors on helicopters?

A

Main - direct lift

Tail - at a tangent to counter the rotational effect of the main rotor (anti-torque)

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20
Q

Characterisitics of the chinook? CH47

A

Counter rotating rotors to eliminate need for anti-torque tail rotor

21
Q

Largest helicopter in the world?

A

Military Mi-26
90 Pax
20 tonnes of cargo

22
Q

What is a gyrocopter?

A

Direct lift
Instead of having an engine power the top rotor directly, a propeller at the front or back will be powered and also provide rotation for the top rotor.

23
Q

Advantages of rotorcraft?

A

Hovering ability
VTOL (Helos)
STOL (Gyros)
Wide view

24
Q

Disadvantages of rotorcraft?

A

Fuel inefficient

Limited range & endurance

25
Q

What is hybrid lift?

A

This is where lift is generated using a combination of two or more of the three types

26
Q

Types of hybrids?

A

Gyrodynes - eurocopter x3
Tilt rotors - Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
Hybrid airships - Airlander 10

27
Q

Four forces of flight?

A

Lift
Weight
Thrust
Drag

28
Q

Newtons first law?

A

An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force. An object in motion will continue moving at a steady speed unless acted upon by an external force.

29
Q

Newtons second law?

A

Explains how the velocity of an object changes when it is subjected to an external force.

30
Q

Newtons third law?

A

Thethird lawstates that for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction

31
Q

Factors affecting lift?

A

Density
Velocity
Surface area
Co-efficient of lift

32
Q

What makes up the co-efficient of lift?

A

Number to represent the lifting capability of the wing
AOA
Camber

33
Q

What is lift?

A

Lift is a mechanical aerodynamic force produced by the motion of the airplane through the air.
According to Bernoulli’s Principle, the air passing over the top of an aerofoil or wing must travel further and hence faster that air the travelling the shorter distance under the wing in the same period but the energy associated with the air must remain the constant at all times. The consequence of this is that the air above the wing has a lower pressure than the air below below the wing and this pressure difference creates the lift.

34
Q

Three primary control surfaces?

A

Aileron, Rudder, Elevator

35
Q

Primary effects of control surfaces?

A

Pitch - Lateral axis
Roll - Longitudinal Axis
Yaw - Normal Axis

36
Q

Purpose of trim?

A

Small tab on the edge of the control surface deflected into airflow to relieve control stick pressure

37
Q

Effect of Flap?

A

Increase in lift - ability to fly slower while producing the same amount of lift
Slower landing speed
Shorter landing distance

38
Q

Types of flaps?

A

Plain
Split
Fowler
Slotted

39
Q

What is drag?

A

Drag is a force acting opposite to the direction of travel

As air is a viscous fluid, when an aircraft moves through the air, resistance is encountered

40
Q

Types of drag?

A

Induced Drag

Parasite drag

41
Q

What is induced drag?

A

Product of an aerofoil generating lift, caused by rearward tilt of the lift vector
Caused by wingtip vortices from downwash

42
Q

How to reduce induced drag?

A
High aspect ratio (glider)
Tapering towards wingtip
Winglets (spanwise flow is blocked)
Wing fences
Washout (reducing the angle of incidence at the wingtip compared to the wing root.)
43
Q

What is parasite drag? What is it broken up into?

A

Caused by shape/size of the aircraft’s surfaces.
Interference, - conflicting air flows (reduced by blending and filleting)
Skin friction - shear forces between layers of air
Form - caused where a shape is not streamlined

44
Q

What is the relationship between parasite & induced drag

A

As speed increases, Parasite will increase, lift induced will decrease

45
Q

What is thrust?

A

Mechanical force generated by engines to move the a/c through the air
Key is newtons third law

46
Q

Most efficient way to produce thrust?

A

Propeller (spinning aerofoil)

47
Q

Problem with windmilling prop?

A

Produces huge amounts of drag - feather to reduce

48
Q

What would you do in a engine fail in twin engine a/c?

A

Bank into the good engine, ‘raise the dead’ reduces yawing moment