Flight Theory & Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real CGI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Flight Theory & Principles flashcards as text
P-factor causes a left yaw in a single-engine airplane with a clockwise-rotating propeller (viewed from the cockpit) primarily when:
Answer: Climbing at high power and high angle of attack
At high angles of attack, the descending right blade has a greater angle of attack and produces more thrust, yawing the nose left.
In a tailwheel airplane, raising the tail during the takeoff roll causes a left yaw due to:
Answer: Gyroscopic precession
Pitching the spinning propeller disc forward applies a force that precesses 90° in the direction of rotation, producing left yaw.
Torque reaction from a clockwise-rotating propeller (viewed from the cockpit) tends to:
Answer: Roll the airplane to the left
Per Newton's third law, a propeller turning clockwise causes the airplane to roll counterclockwise, to the left.
The spiraling slipstream produces a left-turning tendency by:
Answer: Striking the left side of the vertical stabilizer
The slipstream wraps around the fuselage and strikes the left side of the vertical fin, pushing the tail right and the nose left.
How does high density altitude affect airplane performance?
Answer: Reduced engine power, propeller efficiency, and lift, requiring a longer takeoff roll
Thinner air reduces power, thrust, and lift, so takeoff distance increases and climb performance decreases.
Which condition is required for an airplane to enter a spin?
Answer: The wings must be stalled with one wing more stalled than the other
A spin requires both wings to be stalled, with yaw causing one wing to be more deeply stalled than the other.
Why is even a thin layer of frost on the wings hazardous before takeoff?
Answer: It disrupts smooth airflow, reducing lift and increasing stall speed
Frost roughens the wing surface, causing early airflow separation that can reduce lift and prevent a normal takeoff.
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