Engineering Flashcards
Name four different types of rotary-wing aircrafts. To which general category do all these aircrafts belong, and what other kinds of aircrafts are possible?
Autogyro
Gyrodyne
Compound helicopter
Convertiplane
Helicopter
All are heavier than air, which also includes rockets and fixed-wing.
Which rotorcraft requires torque compensation?
All single-rotor with a drive shaft
Name the base units
Length ; meter ; m
Mass ; kilogram ; kg
Time ; seconds ; s
Current ; ampere ; A
Temperature ; kelvin ; K
Luminous intensity ; candela ; cd
Amount of substance ; mol ; mol
What is the units of force, pressure, work and power?
Force = m*a
mass times acceleration (newton)
Pressure = f/a
force over area (pascal)
Work = f*s
force times displacement (joule)
Power = W/t
work over time (watt)
Name the three laws of newton
- Law of inertia
- Law of acceleration
- Law of action and reaction
Explain Bernoulli’s law
total pressure = dynamic pressure + static pressure = constant, for a closed system and incompressible airflow
Describe the thermodynamic terms
Isobaric = constant pressure
Isochoric = constant volume
Isothermal = constant temperature
The two main principles of driving the main motor?
Tip drive / shaft drive
Which anti-torque systems do you know
Conventional tail rotor
Fenestron
NOTAR
Explain truss frame design, monocoque design and semi-monocoque design
Truss frame:
Steel tubes welded together, main tubes and diagonal struts, sometimes covered with fabric. Oldest design.
Monocoque:
Consists of skin, former and bulkheads. The skin must carry the primary stresses and keep the fuselage rigid. Often used with fiber reinforced plastics to create complicated and aerodynamically shaped designs.
Semi-monocoque:
Primary structure forms the load carrying structure, light metals, longerons and stringers.
Secondary structure creates the skin and is for aerodynamic streamlining, consists of fiber reinforced plastic.
What are the names of the different axes of orientation for an aircraft? Name the associated movements about these axes.
Longitudinal axis = roll
Lateral axis = pitch
Vertical axis = yaw
Which control devices does initiate which type of movement?
Movement around vertical axis = pedals
Movement lateral axis = cyclic
Movement longitudinal axis = cyclic
Movement along the vertical axis = collective lever
Name and describe the two main assemblies of a swashplate
Rotating part = transmits control inputs to the rotor blades via pitch links
Stationary part = receives control inputs and transmits them to the rotating part, is connected to the rotating part via bearings
Swashplate = 4 degrees of freedom
Which inputs are transferred to the swashplate?
Inputs from cyclic stick
Inputs from collective lever
How and where does the coning angle develop?
Angle between TPP and rotor blade axis.
Lift created by the rotor blades leads to a flapping motion upward, kept in balance by centrifugal forces (rotor RPM)
How is forward flight initiated
Control input (cyclic stick)
Tilting of stationary part of swashplate
Tilting of rotational part of swashplate
Cyclic change of angle by pitch control rods
Cyclic change of lift, cyclic flapping of rotor blades 90 degrees later
Tilting of the TPP
Tilting of the thrust vector
Which physical phenomenon calls for the use of lead/lag hinges?
Conservation of angular momentum: if the distance to the axis of rotation is decreased the rotational velocity increases; if the distance is getting bigger, the rotational velocity decreases
Example: figure skating (piruette)
Which other effect causes lead/lag of the rotor blades? Where does this effect always occur?
Hooke’s joint effect.
At 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions of the rotor blades.
Explain the lead/lag position of a 4-bladed main rotor during forward flight
3 o’clock blade leads (hooke’s joint)
6 o’clock blade leads (conservation of angular momentum)
9 o’clock blade lags (hooke’s joint)
12 o’clock blade lags (conservation of angular momentum)
How and by which control input is the pitch angle of the tail rotor blades changed?
Collectively by the pedals
Which components are required for the safe operation of a hydraulic system?
Reservoir
Lines, hoses
Fluid
Consumers
Valves
Pumps
Monitoring system
Which helicopter systems are usually operated hydraulically?
Landing gear
Flight control system
Ramps, doors
Brakes
Which hydraulically operated system is of particular importance to a helicopter pilot?
Flight control system
Which type of reservoir should be used in an aircraft hydraulic system? What is its most important characteristic?
Pressurized reservoir (closed reservoir).
Prevents cavitation.
Which types of pumps are used in hydraulic systems?
Gear pumps (constant volume displacement)
Axial piston pumps (variable displacement)
Gerotor pumps
Radial pumps