RPL Aerodynamics 1 Flashcards
Name the parts of an aircraft
Fuselage, Wings, Engine, Tail Plane, Undercarriage
What are the types of wings and which light aircraft use which?
High Wing - Cesssna 172
Low Wing - Piper Archer
What are the factors affecting total reaction?
Airspeed
Size
Angle
Density
Which axis does each primary control move?
Elevator - Lateral
Aileron - Longitudinal
Rudder - Normal
What are the primary effects of each primary control?
Elevator - Pitch
Aileron - Roll
Rudder - Yaw
What are the effects of airspeed to the primary controls?
Increased airspeed allows for movement inputs to become more sensitive
Decreased airspeed decreases the effectiveness of a primary control input
What are the secondary effects of each primary control?
Elevator - Increased/Decreased Airspeed
Aileron - Slip and Yaw
Rudder - Roll
What is the purpose of trim and where is it located?
To relieve back/forward pressure on the control column
Attached as small surfaces on the elevator
What happens if an aircraft is trimmed?
No pilot force application required on the control column in order to maintain levelled attitude
What is the purpose of flaps?
To slow down the aircraft and create better forward visibility
What are the effects of flaps when activated and retracted?
Activate - Increased lift and drag resulting in ballooning
Retract - Reverts lift and drag resulting in aircraft to sink
What does the throttle do?
Manipulating throttle lever controls amount of fuel and air entering engine and thus controls RPM (engine power)
What are the effects of slipstream?
Increased power - Nose pitches up and aircraft yaws left
Decreased power - Nose pitches down and aircraft pitches right
How does higher power affect slipstream?
Higher power will result in the rudder and elevator to become more responsive whilst ailerons will have little effect
How does the mixture lever work?
It controls the fuel to air ratio that enters the engine
What should be done to the mixture lever if air density decreases?
Decrease mixture via leaning mixture (pull back mixture level) in order to prevent a rich mixture
What does the carburetor heat do?
Enables heated air into the engine in order to prevent/remove ice build up
Why shouldn’t the carburettor heat be activated for a long period on the ground?
Enabling carburettor heat on the ground will intake unfiltered air containing air/dirt in which can damage the engine
What is carburetor ice and why is it dangerous?
Temperature decrease due to vaporisation freezes moisture in the air and forms ice, this is dangerous as it can restrict fuel/air mixture resulting into fuel starvation
What are the 4 forces that act upon a plane?
Lift/Weight Drag/Thrust
What is equilibrium?
All forces are equal