Aircraft

Question 1

What is 1 kilogram in pounds?

Answer 1

2.2 lbs

Question 2

What is 1 nautical mile in metres?

Answer 2

1852 metres

Question 3

What is 1 US gallon in litres?

Answer 3

3.78 litres

Question 4

What is the unit of Distance?

Answer 4

Nautical miles

Question 5

What are the units of altitude?

Answer 5

Feet and Flight levels

Question 6

What are the units of short distances such as runway distances?

Answer 6

Metres

Question 7

What are the units of horizontal windspeed?
Is it the same at all points during a trip?

Answer 7

Degrees magnetic at airports, degrees true en-route.

Question 8

What are the units of visibility?

Answer 8

Metres then kilometres at 5k and above

Question 9

What are the units of the altimeter setting?

Answer 9

Hectopascals

Question 10

What are the units of temperature?

Answer 10

Degrees Celsius

Question 11

What are the units of Weight/Mass?

Answer 11

Metric tonnes or kilograms

Question 12

What are the units of Time?

What time is used in ATC?

Answer 12

Hours / Minutes / Seconds

UTC - Universal Time Coordinated

Question 13

What are the four forces acting on an aircraft?

Answer 13

Lift, thrust, weight, drag

Question 14

What principle and law explains how lift is generated?

Answer 14

Bernoulli’s Principle and Newton’s 3rd Law of motion.

Question 15

Explain Bernoulli’s Principle.

Answer 15

Air going over the top of the aerofoil has to travels faster than air on the bottom. This causes a difference in air pressure (top lower pressure than bottom) and so lift is generated upwards.

Question 16

Explain how Newton’s 3rd Law of motion applies to generating lift.

Answer 16

Each action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore when air hits the bottom of the aerofoil, the aerofoil is pushed upwards, thus generating lift.

Question 17

What is the camber line?

Answer 17

The curvature of the aerofoil.

Question 18

What is an angle of attack?

Answer 18

The angle between an aerofoil and the relative wind.

Question 19

What is the coefficient of lift?

Answer 19

The measure of how much lift an aerofoil can produce.

Question 20

What three things can be changed to increase the lift on an aircraft?

Answer 20

Increase the speed of the aircraft, thus increasing speed of the air over the aerofoil.

Increase the angle of attack by pitching upwards.

Increase the camber of the aerofoil by using flaps and slats.

Question 21

Explain what wake turbulence is.

Answer 21

Wake turbulence is the disturbance of air when an aircraft generates lift resulting in two counter-rotating vortices trailing behind the aircraft.

Question 22

What is induced drag?

Answer 22

Induced drag is a force generated by the development of lift action of wingtip forces.

Question 23

How far horizontally and vertically can wake turbulence generate?

How long does it remain?

Answer 23

Vortices extend up to 5 miles behind and 1,000ft below the aircraft.

It can persist in the air for up to three minutes after the passage of the aircraft.

Question 24

Name the structural components of a fixed-wing aircraft. (There are 11 in total)

Answer 24

Fuselage, Landing Gear, Spoilers, Flaps, Slats, Elevator, Rudder, Vertical Stabiliser, Wings, Ailerons, Elevator

Question 25

What are the structural components of a rotary-wing aircraft? (there are 7 in total)

Answer 25

Wings, tailplane, tail rotor, tail boom, undercarriage fairing, cabin, skids / floats

Question 26

Describe positive Static and positive Dynamic stability.

Answer 26

Positive static is where a disturbance alters the altitude but returns to original after disturbance. Positive dynamic is where oscillations caused by disturbance dampen out over time.

Question 27

Describe neutral static and neutral dynamic stability.

Answer 27

Neutral static is where an aircraft remains at its new altitude after being disturbed. Neutral dynamic is where an aircraft undergoes oscillations caused by a disturbance never dampen out.

Question 28

Describe negative static and negative dynamic stability.

Answer 28

Negative static is where an aircraft continues to climb or descend away from its original altitude after a disturbance. Negative dynamic is where an aircraft undergoes oscillations caused by a disturbance that continually get worse over time.

Question 29

Should centre of lift (CL) be in front of or behind the centre of gravity (CG)?

Answer 29

Centre of lift should always be behind centre of gravity so that aircraft are 'nose heavy' and thus balance themselves out when disturbed.

Question 30

What are the six aircraft speed parameters?

Answer 30

Vso - Stall speed in landing configuration Vs - Stall speed in clean configuration Vfe - Maximum speed with flaps extended Vno - Maximum normal operating speeds Vne - Maximum airspeed an aircraft can fly Mmo - Maximum Mach number safe to fly.