Principles of Flight Flashcards
What is lift?
Upward force created by an airfoil moving through air
What two reasons create lift on a wing?
Bernoulli’s Principal - curved wing causes lower pressure above wing
Newton’s 3rd law of motion - air striking bottom of wing is deflected down causing wing to be pushed up
What is an airfoil?
Surface designed to create lift in an airflow, such as a wing, propeller, horizontal stabilizer, or rotor
What is a chord line on a wing?
Imaginary line from leading edge to trailing edge
What is the angle of attack?
Angle between chord line and flight path
What are the 4 forces affecting an aircraft in flight?
Lift - upward force caused by airfoil
Weight - downward force caused by gravity
Thrust - forward force caused by engine
Drag - rearward force caused by resistance to air
How do lift and weight interplay?
If lift is greater, you climb.
If weight is greater, you descend.
If they are equal, you stay at altitude.
How do thrust and drag interplay?
If thrust is greater, speed increases.
If drag is greater, speed decreases.
If they are equal, speed is constant.
How does temperature change as one climbs higher?
Normally drops about 2 degrees Centigrade per thousand feet climbed.
How does pressure change as one climbs higher?
Pressure decreases as altitude increases.
What 3 factors affect the density of the air?
Altitude (higher is less dense)
Temperature (warmer is less dense)
Humidity (More humid is less dense)
What effect does density of air have on aircraft?
Less dense air causes longer takeoff roll, slower climb rates, reduce engine power
What are the 3 axes of flight?
Pitch - lateral (swing left & right)
Yaw - vertical (rock wings)
Roll - longitudinal (seesaw forward & back)
What control surface controls roll?
Ailerons
What control surface controls pitch?
Elevator
