FAA Task F: Performance and Limitations

Question 1

Factors affecting performance, including:
Atmospheric conditions

Answer 1

Temperature: Hotter = Reduced performance due to lower air density.
Humidity: Higher humidity = Lower air density, reducing engine power and lift.
Pressure: Lower pressure (high altitude) = Reduced performance.
Density: A high density altitude (due to high temp, high humidity, or high altitude) negatively impacts performance.
Altitude: Higher altitude = Reduced engine power and lift.
Wind: Headwinds help, tailwinds hinder; crosswinds affect control during landing and takeoff.

Question 2

Airplane configuration

Answer 2

Flaps, allow for increased lift which increases induced drag. Steeper decent without increasing speed.

Question 3

Loading [e.g., center of gravity (CG)]

Answer 3

Forward CG:
More stable
Less fuel efficient (more drag)
Higher stall speed (higher Angle of Attack)
Good stall recovery characteristics

Aft CG:
Harder to recover from stall.
Lower stall speed
Less stable
More fuel efficient (less drag)

Question 4

Weight and balance

Answer 4

Datum is the tip of the nose.

Question 5

Aerodynamics

Answer 5

Thrust, Drag, Lift, Weight. During unaccelerated flight, they are in equilibrium.

Question 6

Airplane limitations.

Answer 6

Max xwind 17kts. FIS-B should not be used to avoid weather. Atmospheric variation.

Question 7

Possible differences between calculated performance and actual performance.

Answer 7

Human error, imperfect data.