Aircraft Structures & Materials Flashcards
7 cards from real Airframe Mechanic Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Aircraft Structures & Materials flashcards as text
What is the purpose of a fuselage bulkhead?
Answer: To carry concentrated loads and maintain fuselage cross-sectional shape
Bulkheads are strong transverse structural members that carry concentrated loads (such as wing attachment forces) and maintain the fuselage cross-sectional shape.
Which composite fiber offers the highest stiffness per unit weight among commonly used aerospace reinforcements?
Answer: Carbon/graphite fiber
Carbon/graphite fiber has the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of common aerospace reinforcements, making it ideal for primary structural applications.
What is 'delamination' in composite structures?
Answer: Separation of layers within the laminate
Delamination is the separation of individual plies or layers within a composite laminate, often caused by impact, moisture, or manufacturing defects.
What heat treatment process is used to increase the hardness and strength of 2024 aluminum after solution heat treatment?
Answer: Age hardening (precipitation hardening)
Age hardening (precipitation hardening) allows alloying elements to precipitate within the aluminum matrix over time, increasing strength and hardness.
What does the term 'fail-safe' mean in aircraft structural design?
Answer: If one structural member fails, alternate load paths prevent catastrophic failure
Fail-safe design ensures that if any single structural element fails, alternative load paths exist to prevent complete structural failure.
Which type of load causes a structural member to twist about its longitudinal axis?
Answer: Torsional load
Torsional loads cause twisting of a structural member about its longitudinal axis, such as the twisting experienced by a wing during aileron deflection.
What is 'stress corrosion cracking' (SCC)?
Answer: Cracking resulting from the combined effects of tensile stress and corrosive environment
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) occurs when tensile stress and a corrosive environment act simultaneously on a susceptible metal, causing cracks to initiate and propagate.