Aircraft General Knowledge Flashcards

As bank angle increases in a coordinated level turn, load factor:

Answer: Increases because total lift must increase to maintain altitude

In a level turn, total lift must support aircraft weight plus provide centripetal force, so load factor (lift/weight ratio) rises with bank angle.

Maneuvering speed (Va) is defined as the speed at which:

Answer: The aircraft will stall before exceeding its structural load limits from a single full control input

At or below Va, abrupt full deflection of any single control surface will cause the aircraft to stall aerodynamically before structural load limits are exceeded.

An aircraft loaded with the center of gravity at the AFT limit will exhibit:

Answer: Reduced longitudinal stability and potentially unrecoverable stall characteristics

An aft CG reduces the stabilizer's restoring moment arm, degrading longitudinal stability and making stall recovery more difficult or impossible.

What effect does exceeding maximum gross weight have on aircraft stall speed?

Answer: Stall speed increases because the wing must generate more lift to support greater weight

Stall speed increases with weight because the wing must fly at a higher angle of attack (or higher airspeed) to generate the additional lift needed.

Winglets (vertical tip extensions) on aircraft wings primarily serve to:

Answer: Reduce induced drag by disrupting and weakening wingtip vortices

Winglets redirect the energy of wingtip vortices, effectively increasing aerodynamic span and reducing induced drag without adding significant wing length.

Density altitude is correctly defined as:

Answer: Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature

Density altitude is pressure altitude adjusted for temperature deviations from the standard atmosphere, representing the effective air density for aircraft performance.

Which primary flight control governs rotation around the aircraft's longitudinal axis?

Answer: Aileron

Ailerons produce differential lift between the two wings, rotating the aircraft around the longitudinal (nose-to-tail) axis to produce a bank.