Aircraft Performance Flashcards
Density altitude will be increased and performance decreased with?
High altitude, high temp, high humidity
What does ATIS stand for
ASOS?
AWOS?
Automatic terminal information system
Automatic surface observing system
Automatic weather observing system
What are the 4 dynamic forces that act on an airplane during all maneuvers
Lift- the upward acting force
Weight- the downward acting force
Thrust- the forward acting force
Drag- the backward acting force
What flight condition will result in the sum of the opposing forces being equal
In steady state, unaccelerated, straight and level flight
What is an airfoil? State some examples
An airfoil is a device which gets a useful reaction from air moving over its surface.
Wings, horizontal tail surfaces, vertical tail surfaces, and propellers are examples of air foils
What is the angle of incidence
The angle formed by the longitudinal axis of the airplane and the chord of the wing
What is relative wind
The direction of the airflow with respect to the wing. The flight path and relative wind are always parallel but travel in opposite directions
What is the angle of attack
Angle between the wing chord line and the direction of the relative wind
What is indicated airspeed
What you read from the face of the airspeed indicator
What is calibrated airspeed
Indicated airspeed corrected for mechanical error and position error
What is true airspeed
Calibrated airspeed corrected for pressure and temperature
True airspeed is the actual speed of your airplane through the air
What is ground speed
Ground speed is your speed over the ground. It is the sum of the aircrafts true airspeed and the winds aloft
Headwinds reduce ground speed
Tailwinds increase ground speed
What are V-speeds
Key airspeeds unique to each make/model
V speed VSO
Stall speed in landing configuration
With full flaps (and gear down, if retractable)
V speed VS1
Stall speed in clean configuration
Flaps are not extended
V speed VG
Best glide speed
Most amount of lift with least amount of drag
V speed VX
Best angle of climb
Most altitude for a given distance
V speed VY
Best rate of climb
Most altitude for a given time
V speed VFE
Maximum flaps extended speed for full flaps
Exceeding this speed with the flaps extended may cause damage to the flap system and/or wing
V speed VA
Maneuvering speed
No structural damage if single full deflection of single control below VA
V speed VNO
Maximum structural cruising speed
Do not exceed this speed except in smooth air, and then only with caution
V speed VNE
Never exceed speed
Exceeding this speed may compromise the structural integrity of the airplane
Pitot instruments-
Gauge for measuring the pressure of surrounding air
Altimeter
Pitot instruments-
Has a ‘calibrated leak’ hole
Vertical speed indicator
Pitot instruments-
Senses or measures differential air pressure between the static and pitot systems
Airspeed indicator
You forget to remove the pitot cover during preflight. What instrument(s) would be affected?
Airspeed indicator
The static vent becomes blocked. What instruments become affected?
Airspeed indicator, vertical speed indicator, altimeter
What is ground effect
Ground effect is a condition of improved performance the airplane experiences when operating near the ground. The airflow around the wing is restricted by the ground surface. This reduces the wings upwash, downwash, and wingtip vortices.
What causes adverse yaw
The undesirable tendency for the aircraft to roll opposite its turn. The rudder must be used to compensate for it, as well as ailerons
