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Physics as they apply to aircraft. Including aerodynamics, flight dynamics, stability and control, aircraft hydraulic and electric systems, engine thermodynamics.
33
votes
Flying upside down without feeling it
This sounds like a barrel roll.
This is a corkscrew-like flight path in which the airplane rotates around an axis between its longitudinal and pitch axes by flying along a path which lies on the surfa …
26
votes
Accepted
Why is thrust inverse to speed in piston engines?
Your question already contains the answer. As you say
kinetic energy is proportional to velocity squared, so it is easier to accelerate air from 0 to 100 m/s than from 100 to 200 m/s.
The same is tr …
25
votes
What does it mean when an aircraft is statically stable but dynamically unstable?
Static stability means that a deviation from a trimmed state produces forces which return the system to this trimmed state.
If these forces produce an overshoot which increases over time, such that th …
24
votes
Accepted
Can a barrel roll really be executed at a constant 1G?
You are absolutely right, a load factor of greater than 1 is impossible to avoid in a proper barrel roll. The barrel part of its name comes from the spiral path the aircraft needs to perform in order …
20
votes
Accepted
Is excess lift or excess power needed for a climb?
As the answers to your original question already explained, you do need extra lift to accelerate upwards. Once the wing is set into a vertical motion, however, lift again exactly equals weight to keep …
16
votes
Accepted
What is the significance of the speed of sound to aerodynamics and aircraft design?
Your question shows that you know that the speed of sound is the speed of small pressure changes in a fluid, and moving faster than that will give the fluid ahead no warning of an approaching disturba …
16
votes
Does lift equal weight in a climb?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: When the flight path is not horizontal, lift will not be vertical but perpendicular to the direction of motion (in still air). Thrust will also have a vertical componen …
16
votes
Why do newer engines have such wide fan blades?
The improvement in efficiency has two roots:
Higher turbine pressure ratios. While the very early turbojets managed just 3.14:1, the most recent civil turbofans run at 50:1.
Higher bypass ratios. The …
14
votes
Do any airplane designs exist that don't involve a flight surface that provides downforce?
Of course, just put the center of gravity back to its rear limit and fly slowly. Then all of them will produce positive lift on their tails.
Stability is not produced by a downforce at the tail. The …
13
votes
Why would a glider have water ballast? If it is trying to stay aloft without an engine, woul...
I'm tuning in more than 3 years late because I'm not fully satisfied with the answers here. Yes, Lnafziger, when you want to stay up as long as possible, the plane should be as light as possible. But …
12
votes
Accepted
What is the relation between an airplane's altitude and the drag it is experiencing?
Yes, it does - skin friction increases with an increasing altitude.
The mechanism is linked more to temperature than to density, but the reasoning in your question is correct. There might be a few ca …
11
votes
Does an aircraft landing on a carrier increase the carrier weight before it touches down?
Excellent question! Yes indeed, it does! At least in the sense that it is pushing the carrier down. Now we have an intense discussion going on if this is weight or not. If we avoid the nitpickers and …
11
votes
How does turn radius change with velocity between Vm and Vs, as in a 180 degree turn in a ca...
The advice to pull power before turning is only good if you cannot climb. What I learned is to pull up and then do the turn at low speed, but a higher altitude. In normal canyons, this should also giv …
11
votes
Explained intuitively, why does aspect ratio affect induced drag?
Let's imagine 2 theoretical wings, both of which have the same area, but differ in aspect ratio.
Then the wing with the higher aspect ratio also has more span. This is what counts.
If induced drag …
11
votes
Accepted
How much does the fuselage of an airplane contribute to yaw stabilization?
This is not a dumb question at all, and the short answer is not at all.
Since the fuselage must be balanced around the center of gravity (cg), part of it will be forward of the cg. This part contribut …