The Physics of Flight Flashcards
Newton's Laws of Motion
Which one of Newton’s Laws of motion is this?
“An object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion.”
Newton’s First Law of Motion aka Law of Inertia
Out of the 4 types of friction, which one is this?
“This friction is the result of when the surface of one object slides along the surface of another object.”
Sliding, or Kinetic Friction
Out of the 4 types of friction, which one is this?
“This friction is the result of the resistance on an object when it is moved through either air (gas) or water (liquid).”
Fluid Friction
Out of the 4 types of friction, which one is this?
“Similar to sliding friction except this friction occurs when an object rolls across a surface.”
Rolling Friction
Out of the 4 types of friction, which one is this?
“Keeps an object at rest when that object is acted upon by an external force.”
Static Friction
Which one of Newton’s Laws of motion is this?
“When a body is acted upon by a constant force its resulting acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass of the body and directly proportional to the applied force.”
Newton’s Second Law of Motion
Which one of Newton’s Laws of motion is this?
“for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Newton’s Third Law of Motion
Definition: “A particle attracts every other particle in the universe with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.”
Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation
Definition: “Points of faster fluid speed will experience less pressure than points of slower fluid speed.”
Daniel Bernoulli’s Principle
Definition: “Provided by the aircrafts manufacturer along with a weight limit, which is specific to each aircraft.”
Empty weight center of gravity (EWCG)
Definition: “Total weight aircraft was built. Includes systems components required for the aircraft to operate. Does not include, baggage, passengers, or either usable or unusable fuel or fluids.”
Manufacturer’s empty weight (MEW)
Definition: “MEW plus weight of the crew, fluids, unusable fuel, and equipment. Does not include baggage, passengers, or usable fuel.”
Operating Empty Weight (OEW)
Definition: “the total aircraft weight at any moment during the flight or ground operation. This weight will decrease during a flight due to fuel and oil consumption.”
All-up Weight or Aircraft Gross Weight
Definition: “the maximum weight limit at which an aircraft is certified to land safely.”
Maximum Landing Weight (MLW)
Definition: “the maximum weight of an aircraft allowed with all non-fuel elements onboard, but before any fuel is loaded.”
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight (MZFW)
Definition: “the maximum weight an aircraft is certified to take off at, determined by the manufacturer, due to structural or other limits.”
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW)
Definition: “the highest weight an aircraft can have while on the ground, including fuel for taxi and run-up.”
Maximum Ramp Weight (MRW)
Definition: “defines an aircraft’s safe operating boundaries concerning factors like speed, altitude, and angle of attack.”
Flight Envelope
Definition: “the angle at which the chord of an aircraft’s wing meets the relative wind.”
Angle of Attack
Definition: “the downward deflection of air caused by the aerodynamic action of a wing or rotor blade.”
Downwash
Definition: “the type of aerodynamic drag caused by any aircraft surface that disturbs or interferes with the smooth airflow around the airplane, encompassing all drag except for lift-induced drag.”
Parasite Drag
Definition: “produced mainly by the shape of the aircraft.”
Profile Drag
Definition: “Air flowing rapidly across the top of a wing meets air flowing more slowly underneath. This drag increases when lift, airspeed, and AOA increase.”
Induced Drag
Air weighs approximately how many pounds per square inch (psi)?
14.7 psi
What two atmosphere factors reduce an aircraft’s capability for power, thrust, and lift?
Humidity and low air density levels
What are the 4 atmospheric factors that affect an aircraft’s performance?
Pressure, Altitude, temperature, and humidity
The pressure altimeter is automatically calculated at how many inches of mercury (Hg)?
29.92 Hg
What are the two types of aircraft structures?
1.) Truss
2.) Monocoque
What type of aircraft structure is this?
- Consists of welded steel-tubing longerons separated by diagonal members to endure the loads placed on aircraft
Truss Structure
What type of aircraft structure is this?
- Consists of a thin sheet-aluminum alloy curved to fit the shell of the fuselage. The metal skin is designed to withstand the stress of loads and minimize the total weight of the aircraft.
Monocoque Structure
