Aircraft Components and Controls Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real SIFT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Aircraft Components and Controls Questions and Answers flashcards as text
What is the primary function of the swashplate assembly in a helicopter?
Answer: To transmit cyclic and collective pitch inputs to the rotating rotor blades
The swashplate assembly translates non-rotating control inputs from the cyclic and collective into rotating pitch changes in the main rotor blades.
What is 'blade flapping' in a helicopter rotor system?
Answer: The up-and-down movement of rotor blades about a horizontal hinge
Blade flapping is the up-and-down movement of rotor blades about a horizontal flapping hinge, which compensates for dissymmetry of lift in forward flight.
Which instrument measures the main rotor and engine RPM in a helicopter?
Answer: Tachometer
The tachometer displays rotational speed (RPM) and typically shows both engine RPM and rotor RPM so the pilot can monitor their relationship.
What is 'ground resonance' in helicopter operations?
Answer: A destructive oscillation caused by out-of-phase rotor blade lead-lag
Ground resonance is a potentially destructive mechanical oscillation that occurs when rotor blade lead-lag motion synchronizes with the natural frequency of the helicopter on the ground.
What does 'disc loading' mean in helicopter aerodynamics?
Answer: The weight supported per unit area of the rotor disc
Disc loading is the ratio of the helicopter's gross weight to the total area swept by the main rotor disc, expressed in pounds per square foot.
What is the role of the pitch-change links (pitch links) on a helicopter rotor?
Answer: Transmit pitch inputs from the swashplate to individual rotor blades
Pitch links connect the rotating swashplate to the pitch horns on each rotor blade, transferring swashplate motion into individual blade pitch changes.