PLTW Engineering Semester Final Flashcards

Earth's Atmosphere

A mixture of gases that sustains life and protects us from solar radiation.

Maneuverability

an indication of an aircraft’s ability to handle the stress of maneuvers

Controllability

an indication of an aircraft’s ability to react to pilot inputs

Nitrogen

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, making up 78% of its composition.

Oxygen

The second most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, making up 21% of its composition.

Solar Radiation

Energy emitted by the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs.

Tropopause

The boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

Stratosphere

The layer of Earth's atmosphere above the troposphere, where the ozone layer is located.

Mesosphere

The layer of Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere.

Thermosphere

The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere, where temperatures increase with altitude.

Air Pressure

The force exerted by the weight of the air above a given point.

Density

The mass of a substance per unit volume.

Standard Atmospheric Conditions

A set of standardized measurements used for comparison, including temperature and pressure.

Lapse Rate

The rate at which temperature decreases with an increase in altitude in the troposphere.

Altitude

The height above sea level or ground level.

Acclimatize

To adjust to a new environment or altitude over a period of time.

Shock Waves

A type of wave that forms when an object moves faster than the speed of sound.

Sonic Booms

A loud noise produced when an object breaks the sound barrier.

Wing

Fuselage

Empennage

Power Plant

Landing Gear

Vertical Stabilizer

Rudder

Flaps

Ailerons

Horizontal Stabilizer

Elevator

Trim Tab

Cockpit

Ribs

Spar

Wing Strut

Winglet

An extension of a wing tip used to limit air from recirculating from the high pressure airflow below the wing to low pressure above the wing. This recirculation induces wing tip vortices and increases drag.

Center of Gravity

Point where weight of object is balanced

stability

Aircraft with positive _________ returns to steady flight after disturbance

Aircraft Attitude

The orientation of an aircraft in relation to the horizon and other reference points, including pitch (nose up or down), roll (tilting left or right), and yaw (rotation left or right).

longitudinal axis

roll is controlled by the ailerons

lateral axis

pitch is controlled by the elevator

vertical axis

yaw is controlled by the rudder

Center of Pressure

• to turn left, the aircraft must roll left

• right wing must raise and left wing must descend

• right aileron is lowered and left aileron is raised

Yoke rotated left

• Left and right flaps lower

• Left aileron raises

• Right aileron lowers

• Flaps level lowered

takeoff and landing to avoid damage

When are flaps used?

Push the yoke forward

Lower the elevator

To descent, the pilot reduces power and lowers the elevator to pitch down

pushing left pedal

To yaw the aircraft nose left, the rudder must deflect left.

Why do airplane designs differ?

Design affects lift and drag and other characteristics

High Wing

• generates most lift

• improved pilot downward visibility

• high center of gravity

• pusher engine avoids introducing turbulence over wing

Mid Wing

• Generates the least lift of the three

Low Wing

• generates list as a median between high and mid

• increased ground effect increases lift during takeoff

• limited pilot downward visibility

Biplane Wing Configuration

• Increased wing area generates more lift

• increased wing area generates more drag

Canard Wings

• provide forward center of gravity

• improves pitch control

Twin vertical stabilizer

improves yaw control

Triple Verticle stabilizer

• Three vertical stabilizers improve yaw control

• Could be needed to compensate for the limitation of other features

V-tail

• Early versions of the design made it difficult for a pilot to control yaw

• Note the relative percentage of wing that is flap versus aileron.

Tractor Power Plant

Pusher Power Plant

Varaible Direction Power Plant

Oleo Strut

Floats

Tail dragger

Tricycle

Rough field

• Rough field landing gear has smaller wheels to allow large shock absorbers

• Large shock absorbers

  • Absorb impact of a rough terrain

  • Propeller is above tall grass

Soft field

• Soft field landing gear has large wheels to minimize sinking into terrain

Engine Size

The Boeing 777 engine is so large that it dwarfs the pilot seated in the engine inlet.

Specialized Configuration

Aircraft may be designed or modified to perform specialty functions. This example is a Boeing 747 modified to transport a space shuttle. The image above is of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour landing in Los Angeles in September, 2012.

Airfoil

Any surface that provides aerodynamic force through interaction with moving air - A structure having a shape that provides lift, propulsion, stability, or directional control in a flying object.

Lift

The upward force on a plane created by the redirection of airflow over an airfoil.

Bernoulli's Principle

The principle that states that as the velocity of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases.

Coanda Effect

The tendency of fluid flow to attach to a convex surface, causing the flow to accelerate over the surface.

Circulation

The change in fluid flow direction above and below an airfoil, with the circulatory flow adding to the overall speed of the air above the wing and subtracting from the speed below the wing.

Wingtip Vortices

Swirling tunnels of air that form on the wingtips of an aircraft, causing a decrease in lift and an increase in drag.

Chord Line

An imaginary line drawn between the leading edge and the trailing edge of an airfoil.

Camber

The curve of the upper and lower surfaces of an airfoil, which determines the airflow velocity on the surfaces.

High Lift Devices

Wing components, such as flaps, that increase the camber of the wings to increase lift and drag at slow speeds for takeoff and landing.

Angle of Attack

The angle between the chord line of an airfoil and the direction of the relative wind.

Planform

The shape or outline of an aircraft's wing when viewed from above.

Wing Area

The total surface area of the wing.

Span

The distance from one wingtip to the other.

Average Chord Width

The average width of the wing from leading edge to trailing edge.

Air Traffic Control

The system and process of coordinating the movement of air traffic to ensure aircraft stay at safe distances apart. (founded in 1958)

National Airspace System (NAS)

A complex system composed of airspace, airports, aircraft, pilots, air navigation facilities, and air traffic control facilities.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The government agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation within the United States, including air traffic control.

Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

A set of rules and procedures for flying an aircraft based on visual references and clear weather conditions.

Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)

A set of rules and procedures for flying an aircraft based on instrument navigation and communication with air traffic control.

Airport Traffic Pattern

A defined set of routes and legs that pilots follow when approaching or departing from an airport, including downwind, base, final, departure, and crosswind legs.

Safety Management System (SMS)

A system implemented by the FAA to proactively manage safety risks in the aviation industry.

Jet Routes

Federal airways that connect airports and are primarily used by jet aircraft.

Victor Airways

Federal airways that connect airports and are primarily used by non-jet aircraft.

Air Commerce Act

Legislation passed in 1926 that established rules and regulations for civil aviation in the United States.

Wright Flyer

The first successful powered aircraft, designed and built by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903.

Charles Lindbergh

An American aviator who made the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.

Amelia Earhart

An American aviator who became the first woman to make a solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

Space Race

The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve milestones in space exploration, such as the first satellite in orbit and the first human on the moon.

Neil Armstrong

An American astronaut who became the first person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

Sputnik 1

The first artificial satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union in 1957.

SpaceX Exploration Technologies

A company involved in the development and launch of advanced rockets and spacecraft.

Douglas DC-3

A type of aircraft known for its significant role in commercial aviation during the mid-20th century.