Basic Aerodynamics Principles Flashcards

During a coordinated turn at 60 degrees of bank, the load factor is approximately:

Answer: 2.0 G

A 60-degree banked coordinated turn produces a load factor of 2.0 G because the vertical component of lift must still support the aircraft's full weight.

What happens to the stall speed of an aircraft during a level, coordinated 60-degree banked turn?

Answer: Stall speed increases because of the higher load factor

Stall speed increases in a banked turn because the higher load factor requires greater angle of attack to maintain altitude, reaching the critical angle sooner.

The Magnus effect in aerodynamics refers to:

Answer: Lift generated by a spinning cylinder or sphere in an airstream

The Magnus effect describes the aerodynamic lift produced when a spinning object moves through a fluid, as the spin creates unequal pressure on opposite sides.

What is the purpose of wing washout (geometric twist)?

Answer: To ensure the wing root stalls before the wingtip, maintaining aileron effectiveness

Washout reduces the angle of incidence toward the wingtip so the root reaches its critical angle first, keeping the ailerons effective during an impending stall.

Aspect ratio of a wing is defined as:

Answer: Wing span divided by mean chord length

Aspect ratio = wingspan ÷ mean chord (or wingspan² ÷ wing area), and higher aspect ratios reduce induced drag.

Which condition produces the greatest induced drag?

Answer: Low speed, high angle of attack

Induced drag is greatest at high angles of attack and low speeds because the pressure differential between the wing surfaces is maximized, strengthening wingtip vortices.

The boundary layer over a wing is the region of air where:

Answer: Viscous effects cause the air velocity to transition from zero at the surface to free-stream speed

The boundary layer is the thin layer of air next to the wing surface where viscosity causes air velocity to rise from zero (at the surface) to the full free-stream airspeed.