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Glider Pilot Scholarship > Theory Of Flight > Flashcards

Theory Of Flight Flashcards

0
Q

Components of airplane (5)

A

Fuselage Lifting surfaces Empennage Propulsion system Undercarriage

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1
Q

Definition of Airplane

A

Power-driven heavier than air aircraft deriving its lift in flight from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces that remain fixed under given conditions of flight

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2
Q

Truss: what forms frame?

A

Longerons and girders

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3
Q

Truss principle member

A

Longerons

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4
Q

Truss: what takes load

A

Frame

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5
Q

Monocoque: describe structure

A

Solid structure, no internal frame, skin takes load

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6
Q

Semi-monocoque: what covered with what (describe)

A

Monocoque structure with internal frame/stiffeners (formers, stringers) covered with stressed skin

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7
Q

Semi monocoque principle member

A

Formers

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8
Q

Semi monocoque: what takes load

A

Formers, stressed skin

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9
Q

Monoplane vs biplane

A

One pair wings vs two pairs wings

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10
Q

Wing shapes (4)

A

Rectangular Elliptical Delta Tapered

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11
Q

Spars run from — to —

A

Wing root to tip

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12
Q

Ribs run from — to —

A

Leading edge to trailing edge

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13
Q

Compression struts

A

Hold soars in place, take some of load

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14
Q

Ailerons allow airplane to

A

Roll

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15
Q

MAC

A

Mean aerodynamic chord Average of chord along wing Leading edge to trailing edge

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16
Q

Horizontal stabilizer : what stability

A

Longitudinal stability

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17
Q

Vertical stabilizer: what stability

A

Directional stability

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18
Q

Elevator controls

A

Pitch, longitudinal control

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19
Q

Rudder controls

A

Yaw, directional control

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20
Q

Stabilator is what?

A

Stabilizer combined with elevator

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21
Q

What do trim tabs do

A

Take pressure off flight controls during various phases of flight

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22
Q

What is a canard

A

Horizontal stabilizer and lifting surface on nose of aircraft

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23
Q

3 types propulsion system

A

Piston powered (common) Turbine engine Jet engine

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24
Q

What does landing gear do

A

Takes shock off landing

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25
Q

Rudder controlled by

A

Foot pedals

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26
Q

Elevators and ailerons controlled by

A

Control stick or control wheel

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27
Q

Stress

A

Force that causes a strain

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28
Q

Strain

A

Distortion of an object due to stress

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29
Q

Types of stresses (5)

A

Shearing (cutting) Bending Tension (stretching) Torsion (twisting) Compression

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30
Q

Wing loading

A

Gross weight / area of lifting surfaces

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31
Q

Span loading

A

Gross weight / span

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32
Q

Power loading

A

Gross weight / engine horsepower

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33
Q

Load factor

A

Live load : dead load (Actual load on wings : aircraft weight on ground)

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34
Q

Aircraft journey log : when carried

A

Always during flight

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35
Q

Aircraft journey log: what it records

A

Daily flight time, air time, fuel, oil, maintenance

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36
Q

Aircraft technical log: when is it carried

A

Not carried on aircraft

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37
Q

Aircraft technical log: what does it record

A

Everything concerning maintenance repairs and modifications

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38
Q

What do personal logbooks record

A

Licenses, training information, flight time, airplane routes

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39
Q

Define air time

A

Starts when wheels leave ground, ends when wheels touch back down

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40
Q

Define flight time

A

Starts when aircraft starts moving under its own power to when it stops, for the purpose of flight

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41
Q

Name the four fources

A

Lift Thrust Weight Drag

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42
Q

Lift acts perpendicular to

A

Relative airflow

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43
Q

Camber

A

Curve of upper and lower surfaces of wing

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44
Q

Boundary layer

A

Thin sheet of air that sticks to wing as it moves through air

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45
Q

Parts of boundary layer

A

Laminar, turbulent , boundary point

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46
Q

Relative airflow

A

Direction of wind flowing relative to wing

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47
Q

Angle of attack between

A

Relative airflow and chord

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48
Q

Newtons laws (3)

A
  1. Object in motion stays in motion 2. External force applied to alter state 3. For every action, equal and opposite reaction
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49
Q

Down wash

A

Air hits wing, deflects down Opposite reaction is upward force

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50
Q

Bernoulli’s principle

A

Total energy in any system remains constant

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51
Q

How is lift created

A

Top of wing: faster, less pressure Bottom of wing: slower, more pressure

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52
Q

Centre of pressure

A

All distributed pressures act through a line, where line cuts chord

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53
Q

When angle of attack increases: lift, drag, c of p

A

Increases, increases, moves forward

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54
Q

After point of stall, c of p

A

Moves back

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55
Q

Weight acts through

A

Centre of gravity

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56
Q

Weight always acts towards

A

Centre of earth

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57
Q

Thrust

A

Force exerted by engine and its propeller or jet

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58
Q

Types of drag (2)

A

Induced, parasite

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59
Q

Parasite drag

A

Created by parts of airplane not contributing to lift

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60
Q

Form drag vs skin drag

A

How streamlined it is vs tendency of air to cling to surface

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61
Q

Induced drag

A

Caused by parts of airplane active in producing lift

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62
Q

Angle of attack and induced drag

A

Greater = greater

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63
Q

Airflow over top of wing flows

A

Inwards

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64
Q

Wing tip vortices

A

Small eddies formed at training edge, move to tips

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65
Q

Ground effect

A

Vortices reduced close to ground, induced drag decreased

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66
Q

Differential ailerons

A

Up going aileron goes up more than the other goes down

67
Q

Aileron drag

A

Yaw in opposite direction to which bank applied

68
Q

When thrust and drag are equal and opposite

A

Aircraft moves forwards at constant speed

69
Q

Equilibrium

A

Two forces equal and opposite

70
Q

If thrust greater than drag, if drag greater than thrust

A

Accelerate, decelerate

71
Q

When two forces are equal and opposite but parallel instead of one point

72
Q

Couples act around

A

Centre of gravity

73
Q

Conventional airfoil: where thickest, what kind of plane

A

25% Larger, slower aircraft

74
Q

Laminar flow airfoils

A

Thickest at 50% Thinner Smaller, faster aircraft

75
Q

Planform

A

Shape of wing as seen from above

76
Q

Aspect ratio

A

Ratio of wing span to chord

77
Q

High aspect ratio: lift and induced drag

A

More lift Less induced drag

78
Q

Angle of incidence between

A

Wing and longitudinal axis

79
Q

Devices to reduce wing tip vortices (4)

A

Wing tip tanks Wing tip plates Droop wing tip Winglets

80
Q

Wing fences: appearance, location

A

Small fin-like surfaces Upper surface of wing

81
Q

What do wing fences do

A

Control & straighten airflow Reduce wing vortices Reduce induced drag Better slow speed handling and stall characteristics

82
Q

Twist in the wing so wing tip has smaller angle of incidence than wing root

83
Q

What is purpose of wash out

A

Reduces tendency of wing to suddenly stall Wing tips stall last so ailerons remain effective

84
Q

Airfoils on leading edge that pull out at high angle of attacks Improve lateral control by smoothing out turbulent airflow

85
Q

Leading edge flap

A

Increase camber and increase lift

86
Q

Devices fitted into wing that increase drag and decrease lift

87
Q

Devices on wing or fuselage that increase drag

A

Speed brakes

88
Q

Flaps give you:

A

Better take off performance Steeper approach angles Lower approach/ landing speeds

89
Q

The three axis run through

A

Centre of gravity

90
Q

Horn balance/ inset hinge

A

Part of control surface in front of hinge Airflow helps pilot move it

91
Q

Streamlined mass in front of control surface hinge, reduces flutter

A

Mass balance

92
Q

Tendency of airplane in flight to remain in straight, level, upright flight Return to this attitude if displaced without corrective action by pilot

93
Q

Stability from design features of an aircraft, affected by weight and c of g

A

Inherent stability

94
Q

Dynamic vs initial stability

A

Overall vs initial tendency

95
Q

Neutral vs positive vs negative stability

A

Continues, returns to original, moves further away

96
Q

Pitch stability is stability about the — axis

97
Q

Longitudinal stability affected by (2)

A

Horizontal stabilizer, centre of gravity

98
Q

Lateral stability = —- stability = stability around —-axis

A

Roll Longitudinal axis

99
Q

Lateral stability affected by (3)

A

Dihedral Keel effect Sweepback

100
Q

Directional stability = stability about — axis

101
Q

Directional stability affected by (2)

A

Vertical stabilizer Sweepback

102
Q

Propellor rotates clockwise, therefore roll to left (cause, correction)

A

Torque Slight right turning tendency built in

103
Q

At high angles of attack and high power setting, descending propellor blade has greater angle of attack than ascending blade, so right side more thrust than left, so yaw to left

A

Asymmetric thrust, use right rudder

104
Q

When force applied to spinning gyro, force acts as if it was 90 deg in direction of rotation

A

Precession

105
Q

Cause, correction or precession

A

Nose up= yaw right Nose down =yaw left Use opposite rudder

106
Q

Propellor pushes air back in corkscrew motion which hits left side of fin

A

Slipstream

107
Q

cause, correction of slipstream

A

Constant yaw to left Offset fin, trim, right rudder

108
Q

—- thrust needed at higher altitudes

109
Q

Most altitude in least horizontal distance

A

Best angle of climb (Vx)

110
Q

Most altitude in least time

A

Best rate of climb (Vy)

111
Q

Resultant of lift and drag, opposes weight

A

Glide reaction

112
Q

Best endurance speed

A

Most time in air per altitude lost

113
Q

Best range speed

A

Furthest distance per altitude lost

114
Q

Angle of bank increase = load factor —-

115
Q

60 degree bank g’s

116
Q

Stall definition

A

Wing can’t produce enough lift to support weight

117
Q

Critical angle of attack= —- angle

118
Q

During stall, c of p rapidly moves towards

A

Trailing edge

119
Q

Aircraft will stall at same — regardless of altitude

A

Indicated airspeed

120
Q

Aircraft can stall at any airspeed or altitude if —- exceeded

A

Angle of attack

121
Q

Stall and weight

A

More weight = higher angle of attack

122
Q

Stall and c of g

A

Forward = high stall speed Rearword = low stall speed

123
Q

Other factors affecting stall

A

Turns, flaps, aircraft condition

124
Q

Spin definition

A

Auto rotation which develops after aggravated stall

125
Q

Spiral dive definition

A

Steep descending turn in which airplane has excessive nose down attitude

126
Q

Spin vs stall

A

Spin: stalled, speed constant and low Spiral: not stalled, speed increasing

127
Q

V ne

A

Never exceed speed

128
Q

V no

A

Normal operating speed

129
Q

V a

A

Manoeuvring speed (flight controls can be fully deflected)

130
Q

V fe

A

Max flaps extended speed

131
Q

Mach number

A

Ratio of speed of body to speed of sound (Mach 1= speed of sound)

132
Q

Pitot tube measures — pressure How positioned?

A

Dynamic Clear of slipstream, facing line of sight

133
Q

Static port measures — pressure

134
Q

What does it do (instrument cases)

A

Allows them to be same pressure as outside

135
Q

Where is static port located

A

On side of aircraft, parallel to airflow

136
Q

Altimeter uses what port

137
Q

Vertical speed indicator uses what port

138
Q

Airspeed indicator uses which port

A

Pitot and static

139
Q

Altimeter: height in meters or feet

140
Q

Aneroid capsules

A

Set to standard pressure, capsules expand & contract, moving needle

141
Q

Altimeter errors (3)

A

Pressure error Temperature error Mountain effect

142
Q

Indicated altitude

A

What is read off altimeter when set to current pressure

143
Q

Pressure altitude

A

What is read off altimeter when set to standard pressure

144
Q

Density altitude

A

Pressure altitude corrected for temperature

145
Q

True altitude

A

Exact height above MSL

146
Q

Absolute altitude

A

Actual height above ground

147
Q

Airspeed indicator: airspeed or ground speed

A

Speed through air

148
Q

How does ASI work

A

Android capsule inflated with airspeed, moves clockwise Static pressure in case corrects for altitude

149
Q

Airspeed errors (4)

A

Density Position Lag Icing

150
Q

Airspeeds (3)

A

Indicated Calibrated True

151
Q

Airspeed marking: red

A

Never exceed speed

152
Q

Airspeed marking: yellow

A

Caution range (lower limit Vno)

153
Q

Airspeed marking: green

A

Normal range (lower limit Vs)

154
Q

Airspeed marking: white

A

Flaps range (upper limit Vfe lower limit Vso)

155
Q

Variometer

A

Very sensitive VSI used in gliders to find thermals

156
Q

Gyroscopic inertia

A

Tendency of rotating body to maintain its plane of motion

157
Q

Precession

A

When force applied to point on rotating body, body acts as if force applied 90 in direction of spin

158
Q

Heading indicator

A

Must be corrected every 15 min Operates on principle of guroscopic inertia Indicated heading without errors associated with compass

159
Q

Attitude indicator / artificial horizon

A

Operated on gyroscopic inertia Used when horizon is obscured by weather

160
Q

Slipping vs skidding

A

Ball opposite needle vs ball same side as needle

161
Q

Turn and slip indicator

A

Needle shows direction and rate of turn Operates on gyroscopic precession

162
Q

Turn coordinator

A

Replaces turn&slip indicator on newer planes Responds to yaw and roll in a turn Operates on gyroscopic precession

163
Q

Magnetic compass accuracy

A

Only when aircraft is flying straight and level at constant speed

164
Q

Lubber line parallel with, indicates

A

Longitudinal axis Straight, level, constant airspeed

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