Airframe General Flashcards
an aircraft typically consists of what?
fuselage, wings or mainplane and tail section comprised of a fin and tail plane
what are the primary flight controls?
aileron, rudder and elevator
what are the secondary flight controls?
flaps
what are the three fuselage types?
truss, monocoque, semi-monocoque
what is the construction of a truss fuselage? (3)
a truss type structure (that has internal framework that carries most of the stress)
what is the construction of a monocoque fuselage?
- skin carries all structural stresses
- formers maintain fuselage shape
what is the most prevalent form of fuselage construction?
combination of truss and monocoque, semi-monocoque
what is the construction of a semi-monocoque fuselage?
a light metal framework normally covered by an aluminium alloy skin.
what is a bulkhead?
A bulkhead is the material partition such as a wall, curtain or screen that divides an aeroplane into various classes or sections
what is a longeron?
spar-like structures that run lengthwise of the aeroplane’s fuselage or spanwise of a wing.
what is a stringer?
strip of wood or metal to which the skin of an aircraft is fastened.
the design of a semi-monocoque fuselage allows for what?
- makes it so that the skin bears most of the load like monocoque fuselages but since the internal framing is sharing the load the skin can be thinner.
wing designs fall into what 3 categories?
multiplane, braced monoplane, unbraced monoplane,
the design of the unbraced monoplane is what?
the wing is attached to the fuselage at the root only so the thickness becomes vital to building insufficient structural strength to support the loads of the flight without wing twisting and bending
what is a spar?
The spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage
what is ribs?
provide shape of wing and transfer some load from skin.
what is a former?
a former is a structural member of an aircraft fuselage
what is skin?
the outer surface which covers much of its wings and fuselage `made of aluminium alloy, stressed skin design. allows for wing skin to absorb some of the forces applied to the wing and prevent bending and twisting.
what are stringers?
long thin extensions affixed to the inside of the skin to increase its stiffness without the weight gain from making the skin thicker.
what is empennage
the entire tail section of the aircraft, including both the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, the rudder and the elevator.
what are the loads experienced on take-offs and landings?
gust loads - caused due to a sudden change in velocity of the air
manoeuvring loads - these are the g forces an aircraft can experience
control surface loads - caused when the control surfaces are deflected in order to manoeuvre the aircraft
pressurisation loads - due to the expansion and contraction of the cabin with altitude.
what is wing loading?
wings are subject to loading during flight. moved by turbulence, they want to bend upwards due to the lift they create and are forced downwards due to weight.
what does wing loading do?
can cause compression and tension of the structure leading to stress cracks, weakening the structure over time.
what are the characteristics of an aluminium airframe? (4)
- provide a large proportion of the structural strength of the aircraft.
- looked after and report any damage to engineer
- designed in a way that any overstressing will result in a gradual failure not sudden.
- flexible and can withstand tension but susceptible to buckling under compression and fatigue,
what are the pre-flight checks of aluminium airframes?
- look for any cracks or ripples in the skin
- loose or missing rivets
- anything out of the ordinary that would indicate overstressed airframes.
what are the characteristics of composite airframes? (3)
- lighter than aluminium, and less prone to fatigue and corrosion
- most common failure is delamination ( separation of the excessive plies through the failure of the bonding matrix)
- damage is also caused by impact with other objects and notes that light impact damage doesn’t impact composite airframe as much.
what are the pre-flight checks of composite airframes?
look out for any dull or whitish areas compared to nearby areas, or cracking on the surface for signs of delamination. also look out for areas where fibre are exposed or sticking out.
what are the characteristics of fabric airframes? (3)
- covered in fabric
- must be kept in good condition
- too much sun explore, solvents and dirt can weaken fabric.
what are the pre-flight checks of a fabric airframe?
look at seams surface tape and any chords that can be seen, keep fabric clean and remove dirt immediately.
how is an aircraft picketed?
face into wind, park brake on, tie-down the wings, chock the wheels, tie the tail and fit any covers that you might have to protect it.
leave some slack so that no unnecessary stress is placed on the airframe.
what is the best type of tie-down rope?
nylon rope is best and better than manila.
