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 L/D ratio, and why is it important for a student pilot to understand?
Answer: Lift-to-drag ratio; indicates aerodynamic efficiency and determines best glide performance
The lift-to-drag (L/D) ratio measures aerodynamic efficiency; the angle of attack at maximum L/D gives best glide speed, which maximizes glide distance in an engine-out situation.
Ground effect on takeoff is most pronounced when the aircraft is flying at a height equal to:
Answer: One-half wingspan or less above the ground
Ground effect is most significant when the aircraft is within one-half wingspan of the ground, as the ground interrupts wingtip vortex formation and reduces induced drag.
A venturi tube demonstrates which aerodynamic principle?
Answer: Bernoulli's principle — increased velocity produces decreased pressure
A venturi tube accelerates airflow through a constriction, causing a pressure drop that directly demonstrates Bernoulli's principle.
What aerodynamic effect causes an aircraft to tend to return to a trimmed angle of attack after a disturbance, known as longitudinal static stability?
Answer: The horizontal stabilizer producing a nose-up or nose-down pitching moment to restore trim
Longitudinal static stability is primarily provided by the horizontal tail, which generates a corrective pitching moment whenever the aircraft pitches away from its trimmed angle of attack.
Which factor does NOT directly affect the lift generated by a wing according to the lift equation?
Answer: Aircraft gross weight
The lift equation (L = ½ρV²SCL) includes density, velocity, wing area, and lift coefficient — gross weight is a load that lift must overcome, but it is not an input to the lift equation itself.
What type of drag increases as airspeed decreases, and is associated with lift production?
Answer: Induced drag
Induced drag increases as airspeed decreases because the wing must fly at a higher angle of attack to maintain lift, intensifying wingtip vortices.
The phenomenon where airflow transitions from laminar to turbulent over a wing surface is called:
Answer: Boundary layer transition
Boundary layer transition is the point where smooth (laminar) airflow becomes chaotic (turbulent) due to surface roughness, adverse pressure gradients, or increasing Reynolds number.