Airpower

Question 1

What is Newton’s 3rd Law?

Answer 1

To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Question 2

What is Bernouili’s Principle?

Answer 2

As airspeed increases, air pressure decreases

Question 3

in straight and level flight at constant speed, which forces are in balance?

Answer 3

Weight = Lift; Thrust = Drag

Question 4

What is the angle of attack of a wing?

Answer 4

The angle between the chord line of the wing and the oncoming air

Question 5

Where does air flow faster around a wing?

Answer 5

Over the top

Question 6

How much lift is generated by the top of the wing?

Answer 6

Up to 80%

Question 7

What is the relationship between air flow and lift?

Answer 7

Lift is at 90 degrees to air flow

Question 8

What controls a plane’s pitch?

Answer 8

Elevators

Question 9

What controls a plane’s roll?

Answer 9

Ailerons

Question 10

What controls a plane’s yaw?

Answer 10

Rudder

Question 11

What are dihedral wings?

Answer 11

Wings angled upwards (to create lateral stability)

Question 12

What are anhedral wings?

Answer 12

Wings angled downwards

Question 13

What do trimming tabs do?

Answer 13

Cancel out forces on flight controls

Question 14

What do flaps do?

Answer 14

They adjust lift and drag created by a wing (by changing its shape)

Question 15

What degree of flap give the best increase in lift?

Answer 15

30-60 degrees

Question 16

What degree of flap gives maximum drag?

Answer 16

90 degrees

Question 17

What are slats?

Answer 17

At front of wing, reduce stalling speed

Question 18

What is the critical angle of attack?

Answer 18

15 degrees (after this stalling is likely)

Question 19

What control makes a helicopter produce lift?

Answer 19

Collective pitch control

Question 20

What control makes a helicopter move anterior/posterior and laterally?

Answer 20

Cyclic pitch control

Question 21

What undesirable effect is generated by helicopter rotor blades?

Answer 21

Torque reaction

Question 22

What counters the torque reaction in helicopters?

Answer 22

Rudder pedals

Question 23

What control makes a helicopter rotate?

Answer 23

Rudder pedals

Question 24

What is airpower?

Answer 24

The ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events.

Question 25

What are the 5 characteristics of air power?

Answer 25

Speed*
• Height*
• Reach*
• Ubiquity
• Agility

Question 26

What are the 4 fundamental roles of air power?

Answer 26

• Intelligence & Situational Awareness
• Attack
• Air Mobility
• Control of the Air / Air Superiority

Question 27

Speed regarding air power?

Answer 27

Enables the rapid projection of Air Power

Question 28

Height regarding air power?

Answer 28

Enables a three dimensional manoeuvrability and adds a survivability factor

Question 29

Reach regarding air power?

Answer 29

Enables distant targets to be reached

Question 30

Ubiquity regarding air power?

Answer 30

Is achieved through a combination of speed, height, and reach and offers the theoretical potential to be everywhere

Question 31

Agility regarding air power?

Answer 31

Airpower is highly agile and can be quickly and decisively shifted between the strategic, tactical and operational levels of warfare

Question 32

What are the Limitations of Air Power?

Answer 32

• Limited payload
• Fragility
• Weather
• Cost

Question 33

What key attribute of air power is key to it fulfilling its Intelligence and Situational Awareness role?

Answer 33

Height. A matter of physics, most sensors, not least the human eye requires a direct line of sight to their target. Visual range is both limited by the terrain and curvature of the earth, these affects can be mitigated by increasing the height above the surface of the earth:

Rvis = 1.05 √h.

The equation for radar horizon is:

Rrh = 1.23 √h.

Height allows aircraft to see further, and this is a defining characteristic in regards to intelligence and situational awareness.

Question 34

What key attribute of air power is key to it fulfilling its Attack role?

Answer 34

Reach. Because of the ubiquity of the air environment, all points of the earth are accessible and visible via the air - no other environment offers such unhindered access.

Because of this reach, airpower has the capability to reach targets that would otherwise be unfeasible to strike. For example, during the Doolittle raids of 1942 which used B-25 bombers were launched in response to pearl harbour.

Furthermore, ongoing technological advancements such as UAV’s, AAR, and precision weapon weaponry augment airpowers range - allowing intercontinental ranges. However, not all targets are exploitable via the air; any targets buried sufficiently deep under concrete or the earths crust are in most cases impervious to air attack.

Question 35

What key attribute of air power is key to it fulfilling its Air Mobility role?

Answer 35

Speed. While land or navel power can carry a far greater payload, they do so much more slowly. Transport aircraft can achieve speeds of up to 300 mph while a ship may average 8-15 knots (9-17 mph) and a truck 60 mph on good road. Even helicopters which are considerably slower than large transport aircraft can travel at 120 mph.

This speed element allows the joint commander to rapidly deploy troops to operations, resupply those forces with time critical equipment and evacuate casualties and non-combatants from hostile territory.

Question 36

What key attribute of air power is key to it fulfilling its “Control of the Air” role?

Answer 36

All. In attaining and maintaining command of the air, all attributes of air power are equally important. Speed allows for the rapid interception of hostile aircraft; while height and reach enables visual identification, and if necessary, engagement and destruction.

Question 37

How is “Control of the Air” different to “Air Defence”?

Answer 37

It is the combination of height, speed and reach that differentiates control of the air as an air power role from air defence as a surface based role. Air defence is defined as “all measures designed to eliminate or reduce to effectiveness of hostile air action”. Thus, air defence serves solely to deny enemy aircraft access to airspace. In contrast, control of the air as an air power attribute seeks to allow the use of airspace by friendly forces.

Question 38

What are enablers?

Answer 38

The physical equipment, supporting personnel and skills that are required to enable the deployment, operation, and sustainment of aircraft. Broadly this includes force protection and logistics.