Basic Aerodynamics Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real SPC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Basic Aerodynamics Principles flashcards as text
What is the aerodynamic effect of deploying trailing-edge flaps?
Answer: Increases camber, raising both lift and drag
Extending trailing-edge flaps increases wing camber, which raises the coefficient of lift and also significantly increases drag.
What aerodynamic phenomenon is described when an aircraft pitches nose-down after exceeding its critical angle of attack?
Answer: Stall break
The stall break is the nose-down pitch that occurs when the wing stalls, as the loss of lift over the wings causes the nose to drop.
Relative wind is defined as:
Answer: The airflow direction experienced by the wing, opposite to the aircraft's flight path
Relative wind is the airflow direction an aircraft experiences in flight, always parallel and opposite to the aircraft's actual flight path through the air.
At a constant angle of attack, how does increasing altitude affect the true airspeed required to maintain level flight?
Answer: True airspeed must increase to compensate for reduced air density
At higher altitudes, lower air density reduces lift, so the aircraft must fly faster (higher TAS) at the same angle of attack to generate equivalent lift.
What is the effect of a swept-back wing on lateral stability?
Answer: It contributes to lateral stability by creating a dihedral-like effect
Swept-back wings provide lateral stability similar to dihedral because the lower wing presents a higher effective aspect ratio and generates more lift when sideslip occurs.
Which statement about the center of pressure (CP) on a cambered airfoil is correct?
Answer: CP moves forward as angle of attack increases toward the stall
On a cambered airfoil, the center of pressure generally moves forward (toward the leading edge) as the angle of attack increases up to the stall.
What primarily determines the coefficient of lift (CL) for a given airfoil?
Answer: Angle of attack and airfoil shape
The coefficient of lift depends primarily on the angle of attack and the shape (camber and thickness) of the airfoil, not directly on airspeed or density.