SPC Student Pilot Basic Aerodynamics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which flight condition produces the greatest amount of induced drag?
- High speed, low angle of attack
- Low speed, high angle of attack (Correct answer)
- Level flight at cruise airspeed
- Descent with power off
Correct answer: Low speed, high angle of attack
Induced drag is greatest at high angles of attack (low speeds) because strong wingtip vortices form when generating large amounts of lift.
Question 2: Bernoulli's principle states that as the velocity of a fluid increases, its static pressure:
- Increases
- Remains unchanged
- Decreases (Correct answer)
- Becomes equal to dynamic pressure
Correct answer: Decreases
Bernoulli's principle states that within a streamline flow, an increase in fluid velocity results in a decrease in static pressure.
Question 3: Wingtip vortices are most hazardous when following a large aircraft that is:
- Landing at high speed with flaps up
- Slow and in a landing configuration (Correct answer)
- Cruising at high altitude
- Descending at idle power
Correct answer: Slow and in a landing configuration
Wingtip vortices are most intense when a heavy aircraft is slow and producing maximum lift, such as during approach and landing.
Question 4: Aspect ratio of a wing is defined as the ratio of:
- Wingspan to chord length (Correct answer)
- Chord length to wing thickness
- Wing area to fuselage length
- Lift to drag coefficient
Correct answer: Wingspan to chord length
Aspect ratio is the ratio of the wingspan (or span squared) to the mean chord, indicating how long and narrow the wing is.
Question 5: What is the effect of increasing wing camber?
- It decreases the coefficient of lift at any given angle of attack
- It increases the coefficient of lift at any given angle of attack (Correct answer)
- It has no effect on lift but reduces drag
- It increases the stall speed
Correct answer: It increases the coefficient of lift at any given angle of attack
Greater camber increases the curvature of the wing, which accelerates airflow over the upper surface and increases the lift coefficient.
Question 6: In straight-and-level flight, which statement about the four forces is correct?
- Lift equals thrust, drag equals weight
- Lift equals weight, thrust equals drag (Correct answer)
- Lift exceeds weight, thrust exceeds drag
- All four forces are equal to zero
Correct answer: Lift equals weight, thrust equals drag
In unaccelerated straight-and-level flight, opposing forces are equal: lift equals weight, and thrust equals drag.
Question 7: Which type of airfoil is symmetrical?
- An airfoil with equal upper and lower surface curvatures and no camber (Correct answer)
- An airfoil with a flat lower surface
- An airfoil designed for high-speed flight only
- An airfoil with a concave lower surface
Correct answer: An airfoil with equal upper and lower surface curvatures and no camber
A symmetrical airfoil has identical upper and lower surfaces with zero camber, and produces no lift at zero angle of attack.
SPC Student Pilot Basic Aerodynamics 3
Which flight condition produces the greatest amount of induced drag?