The four forces acting on an aircraft in straight-and-level, unaccelerated flight are thrust, drag, lift, and weight. They are defined as follows: Thrust—the forward force produced by the powerplant/ propeller or rotor. It opposes or overcomes the force of drag. As a general rule, it acts parallel to the longitudinal axis. However, this is not […]
Airfoil Design An airfoil is a structure designed to obtain reaction upon its surface from the air through which it moves or that moves past such a structure. Air acts in various ways when submitted to different pressures and velocities; but this discussion is confined to the parts of an aircraft that a pilot is
In order to achieve flight in a machine that is heavier than air, there are several obstacles we must overcome. One of those obstacles, discussed previously, is the resistance to movement called drag. The most challenging obstacle to overcome in aviation, however, is the force of gravity. A wing moving through air generates the force
The atmosphere is an envelope of air that surrounds the Earth and rests upon its surface. It is as much a part of the Earth as the seas or the land, but air differs from land and water as it is a mixture of gases. It has mass, weight, and indefinite shape. The atmosphere is
Structure of the Atmosphere – Principles of Flight Read Post »
Until recently, most GA aircraft were equipped with individual instruments utilized collectively to safely operate and maneuver the aircraft. With the release of the electronic flight display (EFD) system, conventional instruments have been replaced by multiple liquid crystal display (LCD) screens. The first screen is installed in front of the pilot position and is referred
Aircraft Instrumentation: Moving into the Future Read Post »
The construction of aircraft fuselages evolved from the early wood truss structural arrangements to monocoque shell structures to the current semimonocoque shell structures. Truss Structure The main drawback of truss structure is its lack of a streamlined shape. In this construction method, lengths of tubing, called longerons, are welded in place to form a well-braced
Major Components Although airplanes are designed for a variety of purposes, most of them have the same major components. [Figure 1] The overall characteristics are largely determined by the original design objectives. Most airplane structures include a fuselage, wings, an empennage, landing gear, and a powerplant. Fuselage The fuselage is the central body of an
In order to understand the operation of the major components and subcomponents of an aircraft, it is important to understand basic aerodynamic concepts. This post briefly introduces aerodynamics; a more detailed explanation can be found in Aerodynamics of Flight section. Four forces act upon an aircraft in relation to straight-and level, unaccelerated flight. These forces
The FAA certifies three types of aviation products: aircraft, aircraft engines, and propellers. Each of these products has been designed to a set of airworthiness standards. These standards are parts of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), published by the FAA. The airworthiness standards were developed to help ensure that aviation
Aircraft Design, Certification, and Airworthiness Read Post »
In the GA community, an automated aircraft is generally comprised of an integrated advanced avionics system consisting of a primary flight display (PFD), a multifunction flight display (MFD) including an instrument-certified global positioning system (GPS) with traffic and terrain graphics, and a fully integrated autopilot. This type of aircraft is commonly known as a technically
