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Using graphs in Aeronautical Engineering
Suggested Answers
Activity 1:
Go to
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/vel.html 
and use the simulator to determine the effect of airspeed on lift. When you
double the airspeed, what happens to lift.
The velocity used in the lift and drag
equations is the
relative velocity
between an object and the flow. Since the aerodynamic force depends on the
square of the velocity, doubling the velocity will quadruple the lift and
drag.
Activity 2:
Go to
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/incline.html
and use the simulator to determine the effect of angle of attack on lift. When
you increase the angle of attack, what happens to lift.
Lift increases as the angle of attack increases up to a point when the boundary layer separates from the aircraft and the airfoil stalls.
Activity 3:
Go to
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/factord.html
Briefely state the effect of angle of attack on induced drag. When you increase
the angle of attack, what happens to induced drag.
Like lift, drag actually varies with the
square of the
relative velocity
between the object and the air. The
inclination
of the object to the flow also affects the amount of drag generated by a given
shaped object.
Activity 4:
Go to
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12//airplane/atmosi.html
and use the simulator to determine the effect of altitude and combined factors
on lift. When you increase the altitude, what happens to lift.
As we increase altitude, the air becomes less dense and the lift decreases for a given airspeed and angle of attack.
Activity 5:
What happens during take off and landing
that would change the flight characteristics of the aircraft such that different
maximum speeds would be specified?
Landing gear lowered and flaps deployed to augment lift.
Activity 6:
Why does the minimum air speed increase
from 300 to 310KEAS?
The aircraft reaches Mach 1, shock induced drag adds to sum total of drag, and the minimum KEAS is increased.
Activity 7:
The pilot is flying the aircraft at 73,000
feet and wishes to bank the aircraft to turn. He is traveling at the maximum
airspeed. What must he do before turning.
The pilot must reduce power to slow the aircraft to a speed allowing the bank of up to 35°.
Activity 8:
During subsonic flight what is the maximum
angle of attack below 25,000 feet?
14°.
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