Aircraft Structural Assembly And Rigging

Question 1

What is the function of a vortex generator?

Answer 1

It is designed to delay or prevent airflow separation from aerodynamic surfaces.

Question 2

What are the three axes of an airplane?

Answer 2

Longitudinal.
Lateral.
Vertical.

Question 3

What are the three primary flight controls of an aircraft?

Answer 3

Ailerons.
Elevator.
Rudder.

Question 4

Name several secondary flight controls and describe their general purpose:

Answer 4

Trim tabs such as:
Balance tabs.
Anti-servo tabs.
Servo tabs.
Spring tabs.
Their function is to assist the pilot in moving the controls and to trim the aircraft to fly hands-off.

Question 5

Name several types of auxiliary flight controls and describe their general purpose:

Answer 5

Leading edge flaps.
Trailing edge flaps.
Slats.
Slots.
Speed brakes.
These are high lift devices used during low speed flight.

Question 6

What is a servo trim tab?

Answer 6

An auxiliary control, positioned by the movement of a cockpit control and designed to create aerodynamic forces to assist in moving a control surface.

Question 7

What is a spring tab?

Answer 7

An auxiliary control designed to aid the movement of a primary control at high speeds when control forces become too high 

Question 8

What is a balance trim tab?

Answer 8

An auxiliary control designed to create aerodynamic forces to assist in moving a control surface. The tab is positioned by a control rod, connected to the fixed surface on the same side as the horn on the tab. 

Question 9

What are the four most common types of highlift devices?

Answer 9

Leading and trailing edge flaps.
Slats.
Slots. 

Question 10

Describe some of the tools, used to check control surface travel.

Answer 10

Universal propeller protractor.

Special control surface protractor.

Question 11

Name three mechanical methods, by which flight control systems may be actuated:

Answer 11

Cables.
Push-poll rods.
Torque tubes.

Question 12

What is a fairlead?

Answer 12

A device to prevent a cable from rubbing on the aircraft structure.

Question 13

What are the most likely places for a control cable to wear or break?

Answer 13

Where the cable passes over pulleys or through fairleads.

Question 14

What information is required before a cable rigging chart can be used?

Answer 14

The ambient temperature.
The cable size.

Question 15

What is the function of a cable tension regulator?

Answer 15

It automatically adjusts the cable tension to compensate for expansion and contraction in the aircraft structure.

Question 16

Describe the function of a rotorcraft collective pitch control:

Answer 16

The collective control causes each rotor blade to change its pitch angle by the same amount, thus increasing or decreasing the lift produced by the rotor.

Question 17

Describe the function of a rotorcraft cyclic pitch control:

Answer 17

The cyclic control tilts the main rotor disk by changing the pitch angle of each rotor blade during its cycle of rotation, which causes the helicopter to move in the direction the rotor tilts.

Question 18

What mechanism is most commonly used to compensate for the torque produced by the main rotor of a helicopter?

Answer 18

The tail (or anti-torque) rotor.

Question 19

How is the amount of thrust produced by the tail rotor controlled?

Answer 19

By moving the foot pedals.

Question 20

Why should control surfaces be locked when an aircraft is parked?

Answer 20

To prevent damage from the wind.