Airplanes and Aerodynamics Flashcards
3 Primary Flight Controls
Aileron, Elevator, Rudder
Ailerons control
roll about the longitudinal axis
Elevators control
pitch about the lateral axis
Stabilator
one-piece horizontal stab and elevator that pivots from a central hinge point
Canard
horizontal stab located forward of the main wing. It has elevators to control pitch
Rudders control
yaw about a vertical axis
Secondary flight control surfaces
flaps, leading edge devices, spoilers, and trim systems
Flaps
used to increase an angle of descent without increasing airspeed.
Spoilers
used to increase drag and reduce lift
Trim Systems
used to relieve the pilot of having to put constant pressure on flight controls
4 Aerodynamic Forces
Lift, Weight, Drag, Thrust
Unaccelerated Flight
When the 4 aerodynamic forces are in equilibrium
Bernoullis Principle
the internal pressure of a fluid decreases at points where the speed of fluid increases
Angle of Attack
The angle between the chord line and the direction of the relative wind
Critical Angle of Attack
the angle of attack at which a wing stalls regardless of weight, loading, speed, etc.
