Questions for "Forces Acting on an Airplane in Flight"
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability. You may use references to answer such as your textbook, or the online material. If you wish feed back on your answers, you may cut and paste the answers to email and send the answers (NOT the questions) to: efcarter@island.net
Include the subject that the questions apply to in the topic line of your email (ie/ Theory of Flight - Forces Acting on an Airplane in Flight Questions)
Expect a reply in about 2-3 days.
1. What are the four forces that act upon an aircraft in flight?
2. What did the scientist named Bernoulli say?
3. What is downwash?
4. Define "angle of attack":
5. Define "relative air flow":
6. Define "centre of pressure":
7. What are the two main types of drag? Describe each.
8. Parsite drag may be divided into what two categories? Describe each.
9. What two things would reduce the effect of induced drag?
10. Name and briefly describe the three devices that help to control the boundary layer.
11. Which way do wing tip vortices circulate when viewed from the back of the airplane?
12. What are couples? Give examples. (in terms of aviation)
13. Weight acts through the _________________________.
14. Lift acts through the _____________________________.
15. What are Newton's three Laws of Motion?
Try these practice multiple choice questions:
16. Which of the following is a "couple" (in terms of aviation)?
a) thrust and drag b) drag and lift c) thrust and weight d) all of the above
17. Pick the letter that best completes the blanks:
"As speed increases, pressure ______________,
as speed decreases, pressure _______________.
a) increases, increases b) decreases, decreases
c) decreases, increases d) increases, decreases
18. The angle at which the airfoil meets the relative airflow is called the ________________.
a) centre of pressure b) chord c) relative chord d) angle of attack
19. What is the "boundary layer"?
a) a high altitude restriction zone b) a thin layer of air on the wing
c) a method of lift production d) the layer of air which cools the engine
20. In a laminar flow airfoil, the thickest part of the wing is at what percent of the chord?
a) 25% b) 33.3% c) 50% d) 64.75%