BASIC Federal Aviation

Administration

AERODYNAMICS
PART I

PRESENTED BY: Dennis H. Whitley

FAASTeam Lead Representative
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 MY MOTTO
SHOW ME A PILOT THAT CAN’T
ANSWER A CORRELATIVE
QUESTION AND/OR CAN’T
PERFORM A GIVEN TASK, &
I’LL SHOW YOU A PILOT THAT
DOESN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT
HE/SHE IS TRYING TO
ACCOMPLISH.
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 FLIGHT INSTRUCTING
MUST NOT BE THE
BY-PRODUCT OF
BUILDING FLIGHT
HOURS.

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 BUILDING FLIGHT
HOURS MUST BE
THE BY-PRODUCT
OF FLIGHT
INSTRUCTING.
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 SAFETY
COMMITMENT
VS
DEDICATION

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 THIS DISCUSSION IS BASED ON
SUBSONIC AIRCRAFT AND WILL BE

“VERY BASIC”
“NO FORMULAS”
“VERY LITTLE MATH”

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Federal Aviation
JANUARY 27, 2010 PART I Administration
 WE WILL TALK ABOUT
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
4 FORCES LIFT/WEIGHT/THRUST/DRAG
GROUND EFFECT
TURNING TENDENCIES
TRIM DEVICES
AERODYNAMICS OF SPINS
SLIPS/SKIDS
ADVERSE YAW
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 WHAT IS
ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE?

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ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS THE WEIGHT
OF ALL THE AIR UPON THE SURFACE OF
THE EARTH.
WHAT DOES 30 hg MEANS?
HOW WAS ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE MEASURED?

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36

TORICELLI'S MEASUREMENT

YARD
RULER STICK
GLASS TUBE
1 SQUARE INCH INNER DIAMETER BY
3536 INCHES
INCHES TALL
TALL
TORICELLI'S MEASUREMENT

RULER
GLASS TUBE
1 SQUARE INCH INNER DIAMETER BY
35 INCHES TALL

CONTAINER
MERCURY WITH
MERCURY

CONTAINER
MERCURY WITH
MERCURY
 36
YARD STICK
RULER
TORICELLI'S
MERCURIAL
BAROMETER
 36
YARD STICK
RULER
TORICELLI'S
MERCURIAL
BAROMETER
TORICELLI'S 30.00
MERCURIAL
BAROMETER

ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE

MERCURY

SEA LEVEL
HOW WAS THE DROP
OF PRESSURE WITH
ALTITUDE VERIFIED?
 HOW WAS THE
WEIGHT OF THE AIR
DETERMINED?

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MERCURY
 1 SQUARE INCH

29.92" hg.

14.7 lbs. 14.7 lbs.

 WHAT
IS AN ALTIMETER?

A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL
GAUGE

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 FROM
FROM 20 20
15 25 15 25 SOURCE
SOURCE
10 30 10 30

5 35 5 35

0 40 0 40
HG HG

20
15 25
10 30

5 35

0 40

HG
 Kollsman
Static Window
Port
static port sea
pressure level
31.00 hg. 31.00 pressure
31.00 hg.

SEA LEVEL
static port
pressure
23.00 hg.
31.00
sea
level
pressure
31.00 hg.
 WHAT IS
ALTIMETER SETTING?
SEA LEVEL PRESSURE CORRECTED FOR
NONSTANDARD TEMPERATURE.
 WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON
THAT AN AIRPLANE IS ABLE TO
FLY?
BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF
THE AIR.
In other words the
aerodynamic effect air has on
the aircraft.
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 DEFINITION OF
AERODYNAMICS
The branch of science that
deals with the forces
produced by air flowing over
specially shaped surfaces
called airfoils.
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IS THERE ANY THING WRONG WITH
THIS PICTURE?

TWO THINGS
THE FLOWING OF THE RELATIVE WIND
THE DIRECTION OF THE RELATIVE WIND

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CAN WE FLY WITH A FLAT WING?
 1ST LAW:
Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state
of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
3RD LAW:
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

AT CRUISE COSTANT ALTITUDE

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MINIMUM MANEUVERING SPEED
SLOW FLIGHT

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 STALL

PA-28 SERIES
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WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF
FOIL?
TO PREVENT FROM BEING
SUCCESSFUL
TO THWART

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 AIRFOIL
•Any surface designed to deflect
the airflow passing over it or
striking it, and thereby obtaining
an useful reaction

AN AIRFOIL IS AN
AIR DEFLECTOR
 HOW MANY
AIRFOILS ARE
THERE?

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 •AIRPLANE WING.
•AILERONS.
•SLATS
•LANDING FLAPS.
•VERTICAL STABILIZER.
•RUDDER.
•HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
•ELEVATOR/STABILATOR
•FUSELAGE.
•TRIM TABS.
•FEARING.
•PROPELLER.
•STRUTS.
•ROTOR BLADE.
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 WHAT IS LIFT?

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 A FORCE CREATED BY
A DEFLECTION OF AIR
AND PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL AROUND AN
AIRFOIL.
IS CALLED LIFT WHEN IT ACTS UPWARD.
WHEN IT ACTS DOWNWARD IS CALLED
NEGATIVE LIFT.
WHEN IT ACTS SIDEWAYS IS CALLED SIDE LIFT.
WHEN IT ACTS FORWARD IS CALLED THRUST

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 HOW IS LIFT
CREATED?
AIR PASSING BY AN AIRFOIL
DEFLECTION -- ISSAC NEWTON

AIR’S CHANGE OF DIRECTION--BERNOULLI'S PRINCIPLE

PRESSURE DIFERENTIAL-- BERNOULLI'S PRINCIPLE

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 WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

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CAN WE FLY WITHOUT
THE HELP OF
BERNOULLIS?

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 THRUST
•Thrust is a reaction force described
quantitatively by Newton's second and third laws.
When a system expels or accelerates mass in one
direction the accelerated mass will cause a
proportional but opposite force on that system.

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 LIFT
•LIFT is a reaction force described quantitatively
by Newton's second and third laws. When a
system expels or accelerates mass in one
direction the accelerated mass will cause a
proportional but opposite force on that system.

•Thrust is LIFT DIRECTED FORWARD.

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 THE PROPELLER’S DEFLECTION OF AIR

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 DRAG

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 PARASITE DRAG
FORM
INTERFERENCE

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 INDUCED DRAG

GROUND EFFECT
COMMANDER TYSON
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 STAGNATION AREA
UPWASH
ASSUMED RELATIVE WIND
ASSUMED LIFT
ANGLE DOWNWASH
OF ATTACK

ASSUMED RELATIVE WIND

IS THAT RIGHT?

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 STAGNATION AREA UPWASH
RELATIVE CURRENT DOWNWASH

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 ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED
ANGLE LIFT
OF ATTACK

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 DOWNWASH
ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED
ANGLE LIFT
OF ATTACK

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 DOWNWASH
ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED WING TIP
ANGLE LIFT VORTICES
OF ATTACK
TOTAL ENDUCED DRAG

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 WING
THREE-DIMENSIONAL UPWASH MODIFIES
RELATIVE WIND
FLOW

DOWNWASH PULLS
BACK ON LIFT VECTOR

WING TIP VORTICES PULLS LIFT VECTOR FURTHER BACK

 DOWNWASH
ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED WING TIP
ANGLE LIFT VORTICES
OF ATTACK
TOTAL ENDUCED DRAG

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 DOWNWASH
ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED
ANGLE LIFT
OF ATTACK

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 ASSUMED
LIFT
INDUCED INDUCED
ANGLE LIFT
OF ATTACK

INDUCED RELATIVE WIND

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 WASHOUT

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WHAT DOES
THE
STABILATOR
DO?
WHAT DOES
THE
ANTI-SERVO
TAB DO?
 STABILIZED UNACCELERATED CLIMB

C
IF DESCENDING
IN A 60 ° BANK
HOW MANY G ’S?
 DYHEADRAL

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 ADVERSE
YAW

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 OVERBANKING
TENDENCIES

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MANEUVERING SPEED
VA

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 LOAD FACTOR

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