Principles of Flight Flashcards
Air density as a result of increase in:
Temperature
Static pressure
Humidity
Temperature +ve => Density -ve
Static pressure +ve => Density +ve
Humidity +ve => Density -ve
ISA
- Stands for
- Sea level
International Standard Atmosphere
15 deg C
1013.25 hPa
1.1225 kg/m(3) density
ISA changes at altitude
2 degrees C lost per 1000ft up to 36,000ft
From which constant -56.5 deg C
Dynamic pressure formula
Q = 1/2 x rho x v(2)
Calibrated air speed (CAS)
IAS adjusted for instrument and pressure errors (pressure error is due to position of the pitot tube, aircraft configuration etc.)
Equivalent air speed (EAS)
IAS corrected for both position (as in CAS) and also compressibility of air, which is a factor at high speeds (i.e. air compresses within the pitot tube)
Requirement for IAS indicator to show TAS
Only when air density is 1.225kg/m(3)
Mach number
M = TAS / a
Where a = local speed of sound
Critical Mach Number
M(crit) is the mach number at which airflow around some part of aircraft will reach local speed of sound
When is an airspeed measure a speed, and when is it a pressure?
TAS is speed, all other measures are in fact pressures.
Thus IAS indicator is in fact a pressure gauge, not a speed gauge
Principle of continuity
Description & full formula
Flow of mass of air through a tube will remain constant
Cross sectional area (A) x Velocity (V) x rho = Constant
[e.g. temperature doesn’t affect mass flow (which is constant) as decrease in density will be offset by increased velocity]
Simplified principle of continuity formula
For M < 0.4, density changes are insignificant, so:
A x V = Constant
What theorem determines that energy and mass can be neither created nor destroyed?
Continuity principle
Bernoulli’s theorum
In the steady flow of an IDEAL fluid, the sum or pressure energy and kinetic energy remains constant
Nature of an ideal fluid
Incompressible and zero viscosity
Streamtubes and streamlines
Streamtube is an imaginary tube through which we consider airflow to travel (imaginary cut off of air flow around aerofoil).
Streamlines are lines of airflow, they cannot cross
Implication of streamlines being close together
High velocity, high dynamic pressure, low static pressure
Maximum camber
Maximum distance of the mean (camber) line from the chord line.
Expressed as a % of chord, with position expressed as distance from leading edge as % of chord.
Relative airflow
- direction
- effect of aircraft
- speed
aka Relative Wind or Free Stream Flow
- Direction is parallel and opposite direction to flight path (of CoG specifically)
- Condition is close to but unaffected by the aircraft
- Magnitude is TAS
Airflow other than relative airflow
If airflow doesn’t possess the 3 attributes of relative airflow, then it is effective airflow
Aerodynamic Incidence
aka Angle of Attack (represented as alpha)
Angle between chord line and RELATIVE airflow
Effective angle of attack
Angle between chord line and effective airflow
Upwash and downwash
Upwash is the flow of air upwards, towards the low pressure area above the wing, at the front of the wing.
Downwash is the downwards flow of air at the back of the wing.
Pressure diagram at low AoA