GSW-5A

GSW-5A
Aerodynamics
READING ASSIGNMENT
PHAK Pages 5-1 to 5-32 – “Forces Acting on the Aircraft”
through “Asymmetric Loading (P-Factor)”

Study Questions

? 1. A fish doesn’t have to study fluid dynamics to swim in water. Why do pilots need to study aerodynamics
to fly in air?

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a) Humans are smarter than fishes.
b) Being in the water is a natural state for fishes, but being in the air is not a natural state for humans.
c) Understanding how aerodynamic forces are generated helps pilots better manage these forces in
the air.
d) All of the above.

2. Why does this module only cover a portion of Chapter 5 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical
Knowledge?
a) A Private Pilot does not need to know about stability or load factor.
b) It is impossible to understand stability or load factor without an advanced degree in physics.
c) Those topics are better understood later in the training process.

3. Draw lines to connect each of the following terms to the meaning it has when used to describe an aircraft
in flight.

Thrust Drag Weight Lift

The downward force The upward force The force produced by the The rearward force
from the combined resulting from airflow propeller to move resulting from the
load of the airplane and over the wings that the airplane forward airplane slamming
everything aboard opposes gravity through the air and
disrupting the flow

? 4. Steady flight means there are no accelerations occurring. Another way to refer to steady flight is
a) descending flight.
b) straight and level, unaccelerated flight.
c) mediated flight.

5. In steady flight, the size of opposing aircraft forces are ___________________________________.

6. In steady flight, the sum of all upward components of forces is equal and opposite to the sum of all
___________________________________.

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 Aerodynamics

7. In level flight, what happens if engine power is reduced and thrust is lessened?
a) Thrust and drag are always equal, so drag is lessened the same amount.
b) Drag exceeds thrust, and the airplane slows down.
c) Inertia slows the mass of the airplane down, regardless of drag.

8. When airspeed is low, what must be increased in order to maintain the same amount of lift generated?
____________________________________________________________________________________

9. A pilot can generate more lift by increasing airspeed or by

a) decreasing weight.
b) increasing the angle of attack.
c) decreasing thrust.

? 10. How does a pilot control the angle of attack of the wings?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

11. If a pilot wants to maintain straight and level flight while gradually increasing airspeed, what other change
will be required?
a) The density of the air will need to be decreased.
b) Angle of attack will need to be gradually increased to prevent excess lift.
c) Angle of attack will need to be gradually decreased to prevent excess lift.

12. Lift and drag vary directly / inversely with the density of the air. In order to maintain lift at a higher
altitude, an airplane must fly at a faster / slower true airspeed for any given angle of attack.

13. What are the two basic types of airplane drag?

a) Vertical drag and horizontal drag.
b) In-motion drag and static friction.
c) Parasite drag and induced drag.

14. Which type of airplane drag is a result of the wings developing lift?
____________________________________________________________________________________

15. Parasite drag affects all bodies that move through air, even automobiles on the ground. Identify what
component of parasite drag is being addressed by automobile designers in each of the following.

The fastest sports cars are designed with small cross sections, so
___________________________________ 
that they punch smaller holes through the air as they move.
___________________________________ T he bodies of fast cars are smooth and polished, so that there
aren’t rough creases or uneven skin surfaces that can catch
the air.
The intersection of different parts of the car are generally
___________________________________ 
smoothed out to prevent turbulence from sharp intersecting
surfaces.

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 Aerodynamics

? 16. On airplanes with fixed landing gear, the wheels often have smooth curved covers called wheel fairings.
What is the intended effect of these fairings?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

17. Which of the following statements is true of parasite drag?

a) It is hardest to get a car moving from a complete stop, so parasite drag must be worst at slow speeds.
b) Parasite drag is always present, so it must not be affected by changes to airspeed.
c) At high speeds, wind resistance eventually stops you from being able to go any faster, so parasite drag
must be worst at high speeds.

18. If a person falls from an airplane, the parasite drag is a result of their size as they impact the air. What
method is commonly used to increase the size of the falling body and therefore increase the parasite drag
to slow the descent?

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____________________________________________________________________________________

19. What land surface would likely exhibit the greatest friction on the wind and result in the most slowing of
an air mass?
a) A barren, dry lake bed.
b) The open sea.
c) Trees, hills, and tall buildings.

20. Induced drag is the penalty associated with the creation of ___________________________________by
the wings.

21. The difference in pressures over and under a wing while it is generating lift result in
a) wingtip vortices.
b) spikes in local air density.
c) a rearward angle of attack.

22. At the wingtips, air pressures result in a lateral flow of air outward / inward from the underside of the wing
and outward / inward toward the upper surface of the wing.

23. The rotation of air in a wingtip vortex results in a downwash of air over the top of the wing. This is known
as the __________________________________ downwash

24. Induced drag is

a) the downwash of air over the wings.
b) the increase in drag as a result of induced flow over the wings.
c) the resistance to forward motion of an airfoil in flight.

25. The impact of induced flow on the aerodynamic capabilities of an airfoil is to increase the overall efficiency
(more lift for less drag).
a) True
b) False

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 Aerodynamics

26. Induced drag varies inversely with the square of airspeed. This means that if the airspeed of an airplane
doubles, the induced drag will decrease by a factor of ___________________________________ .

27. The sum of the parasite drag and induced drag of an airplane in flight are called the
___________________________________drag.

28. In the graph below, draw the characteristic shape of the total drag curve.

29. Why is the low point in the total drag curve an important value in figuring the maximum range of
airplanes?
a) Optimal performance requires the engine to be spinning at its lowest possible RPM.
b) When drag is at a minimum, the power required to overcome drag is also at a minimum.
c) Total drag changes throughout the flight and therefore an airplane never has a maximum range.

30. What happens if the total lift generated by an airplane in flight becomes less than the total weight of the
airplane?
____________________________________________________________________________________

31. In the diagram below, chart the path for the arriving aircraft so that it optimally avoids the wingtip vortices
of the large aircraft that landed just prior.

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32. In the diagram below, chart the path for a departing aircraft so that it optimally avoids the wingtip vortices
of the large aircraft that departed just prior.

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33. If a pilot is unsure of another aircraft’s takeoff or landing point, how much time should he or she allow for
wake turbulence dissipation?
a) 30-40 seconds.
b) 3 minutes.
c) 10-15 minutes.

34. What crosswind strengths can result in the wingtip vortex of another airplane remaining in the touchdown
zone?
a) 1-5 knots.
b) 10-20 knots.
c) Maximum demonstrated crosswind.

? 35. As a result of ground effect, it is possible to fly an airplane just clear of the ground (or water)
a) by using the friction of the wheels on the ground to gradually slow the airplane.
b) at a slightly slower airspeed than that required to sustain level flight at higher altitudes.
c) using only the rudder pedals to control lift.

36. Ground effect is due to the interference of the ground surface with ___________________________________
___________________________________ .

37. In which situation would ground effect be at its greatest?

a) Wings at a height above the ground equal to the wing span.
b) Wings at a height above the ground equal to about 1/4 the length of the span.
c) Wings at a height above the ground equal to about 1/10 the length of the span.

38. On takeoff, what can a pilot expect upon leaving ground effect?
a) An increase in pitch required to get the same amount of lift.
b) A decrease in drag and the thrust required to maintain the climb.
c) A sudden increase in the amount of lift generated.

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39. The increased air pressures around the airplane when flying in ground effect are responsible for what
other flight indication?
a) Increased air pressures in ground effect cause increased wear and tear on aircraft components.
b) Increased air pressures in ground effect fool the pressure altimeter into registering a lower altitude.
c) Increased air pressures in ground effect decrease the amount of oxygen available for generation of
thrust.

40. At high density altitudes, ground effect may mislead a pilot because the airplane may lift off of the ground,
but not be able to
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

41. Describe the direction in which each axis passes through the airplane.

vertical axis _____________________________________________________

longitudinal axis _____________________________________________________
lateral axis _____________________________________________________

42. Rotation about the lateral axis is known as ___________________________________ .

The pilot controls this movement by ___________________________________ , which causes
the ___________________________________ to move.

43. Rotation about the vertical axis is known as ___________________________________ .

The pilot controls this movement by ___________________________________ , which causes
the ___________________________________ to move.

44. Rotation about the longitudinal axis is known as ___________________________________ .

The pilot controls this movement by ___________________________________ , which causes
the ___________________________________ to move.

45. Where do the three axes of rotation intersect on an airplane?

____________________________________________________________________________________

? 46. For each of the following motions, determine if it can best be described as pitch, roll, or yaw.
Nodding your head “yes” ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Shaking your head “no” ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
A horse rearing up ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Doing the twist ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Turning over in your sleep ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Tipping over a chain of dominos ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Swinging a baseball bat ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Leaning sideways ☐ pitch ☐ roll ☐ yaw

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47. Which definition best describes aerodynamic “stability”?

a) The ability to remain in a stationary location at the airport in high winds.
b) Having a steady, reliable income.
c) The ability to return to the original conditions after a disturbance.

? 48. What can be said of an airplane that is in equilibrium?

a) All opposing forces acting on the airplane are balanced.
b) Weight = thrust = lift = drag.
c) The airplane is making a steady, level turn.

49. A pendulum weight in a grandfather clock exhibits

a) positive static stability.
b) negative static stability.

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c) neutral static stability.

50. A mousetrap operates on the principle of ___________________________________ static stability. That is,
when the unfortunate mouse disturbs the trap it definitely moves away from its initial undisturbed state.

51. An airplane with positive static stability will tend to ___________________________________ its initial flight
attitude after being disturbed by a gust of wind.

52. Dynamic stability is different from static stability. In your own words, describe dynamic stability.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

53. What kind of dynamic stability is exhibited by a thrown stone skipping on the surface of a lake?
a) Negative dynamic stability.
b) Neutral dynamic stability.
c) Positive dynamic stability.

54. What term describes an airplane’s ability to be maneuvered easily and to withstand the stresses imposed
by maneuvers?
____________________________________________________________________________________

55. In your own words, define aerodynamic “controllability”. Be sure to differentiate it from “maneuverability”.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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 Aerodynamics

56. Select the answers below that make the statements true.

Although somewhat confusingly named, longitudinal stability is the quality that makes an aircraft
stable about its lateral / longitudinal axis. It involves the pitching / rolling motion as the aircraft’s
nose moves up and down in flight. An aircraft with longitudinal instability has a tendency to shift
easily into a steep climb or yaw / dive and can be difficult / easy and sometimes fun / dangerous
to fly.

57. If an airplane exhibited neutral dynamic longitudinal stability, a gust of wind will result in what type of
motion?
a) Nose up and nose down oscillations of increasing intensity.
b) Regular up and down pitch changes that never increase or dampen.
c) A sudden pitch change with the airplane frozen into the new pitch attitude.

58. The airplane design location of the line of thrust can influence longitudinal stability in that
a) a thrust line above the center of gravity can dampen the influence of a power increase and keep the
nose from rising unexpectedly.
b) a thrust line below the center of gravity will result in a nose down rotation.
c) as a pilot moves the line of thrust aftward, a negative dynamic condition will result.

? 59. Most modern airplanes have been designed to exhibit lateral stability, which means a rolling moment will
result in forces that tend to return the airplane to a wings-level condition.
a) True
b) False

60. The design of the aircraft that has the outer tips of the wing higher than the wing root is known as
a) keel effect.
b) dihedral.
c) sweepback.

61. A weathervane demonstrates the principle of stability about the

a) longitudinal axis.
b) lateral axis.
c) vertical axis.

62. In straight and level flight, lift and weight act in directly opposite directions and the force of lift is
___________________________________ the force of weight.

63. In turning flight, the lift generated by the wings is no longer completely vertical, and
a) weight acts unopposed for the duration of the turn.
b) the wings are not capable of sustaining level flight.
c) only a portion of the total lift generated is available to oppose the vertical pull of gravity.

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 Aerodynamics

64. If a pilot wants to make a turn without losing altitude, what must be done to provide a vertical component
of lift sufficient to offset weight?
a) The pilot must use the rudder pedals to align the vertical component of lift.
b) The pilot must create more total lift, usually by increasing the angle of attack.
c) The pilot must bank the airplane more to maintain sufficient lift.

65. When turning, an increase in airspeed results in a(n) ___________________________________ in the radius
of turn.

? 66. When turning, an increase in the angle of bank results in a(n) ___________________________________ in
the radius of turn.

67. Once established in a steady climb, the four forces are again at equilibrium.
a) True

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b) False

68. Once established in a steady, stabilized descent, the sum of the downward forces acting on the airplane
exceeds the sum of the upward forces, and results in the airplane accelerating toward the ground.
a) True
b) False

69. The term ___________________________________ refers to the rapid decrease in lift caused when the
airfoil’s angle of attack exceeds a critical angle.

70. When the lift suddenly disappears in a stall, most training airplanes have been designed to do what?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

71. Airplane designs differ, but in general the critical angle of attack varies between
a) 3° to 10°.
b) 16° to 20°.
c) 35° to 40°.

72. When a pilot uses an increase in angle of attack to get more lift out of the same airspeed, such as during
level turns or when heavily loaded, the stall speed of an airplane
a) increases.
b) decreases.
c) remains unchanged.

73. Two identical airplanes are flying the same airspeed. One airplane has only the pilot and 10 gallons of
fuel onboard. The other airplane has four heavy passengers and full fuel tanks. In level flight at the same
airspeed, which airplane will be flying with an angle of attack closer to the critical angle?
____________________________________________________________________________________

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74. An FAA safety initiative to address Loss of Control accidents is promoting _____________________________
indicators to help reduce accidents that involve ___________________________________ /spin scenarios.

75. Angle of attack is a better parameter to use to avoid a stall because speed by itself is not a reliable
parameter since an airplane can stall at:
a) Any speed
b) At different angles of attack
c) Only with lower power settings

76. Angle of attack indicators provide a simple ___________________________________ representation of the

current AOA and its proximity to the critical angle of attack.
a) mathematical
b) visual
c) musical

77. AOA indicators are not without / have no limitations and training is not needed / advised.

78. Why is a propeller blade twisted?

a) Propellers have traditionally been this shape and no one has found a reason to change.
b) To change the blade angle in proportion to the differences in the relative speed of rotation along the
length and keep thrust more evenly distributed.
c) So that if the engine stops, the propeller will create less drag.

79. What are the four elements that cause an airplane to yaw to the left on takeoff?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

80. Newton’s Third Law of Physics is responsible for which of these factors?
____________________________________________________________________________________

81. The torque reaction means that as the engine works to spin the propeller, the propeller
a) works equally hard to spin the airplane.
b) tries to spin backwards.
c) is attached by aviation bolts requiring a specific torque.

82. WhichSpace
of the following rides at Disneyland is a classic example of the torque reaction and why?
Mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
Tea Cups
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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83. As viewed from the pilot’s seat, what direction do propellers rotate on airplanes built in the United States?
____________________________________________________________________________________

84. On the takeoff roll, the torque reaction results in an increased downward pressure on one of the wheels of
tricycle gear airplane. Which wheel?
a) Nose wheel
b) Left main wheel
c) Right main wheel

85. This downward pressure on the wheel results in

a) an increased friction on that wheel that drags down the airplane on that side and pulls the nose of the
airplane in that direction.
b) an increased relative propeller RPM in forward flight.
c) a slowing of the propeller.

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86. The corkscrew effect describes the slipstream from the propeller spiraling around the airplane and
slamming into the ___________________________________ .

? 87. Anything that causes the tail of the aircraft to move to the right results in the nose of the airplane moving
to the ___________________________________ .

88. Movement of the nose of the airplane to the left or right is called ___________________________________
and it means that the airplane is rotating about the ___________________________________ axis.
a) pitch; longitudinal
b) yaw; vertical
c) roll; vertical

? 89. Gyroscopes are very useful in aviation due to their property of rigidity in space. This means that once a
gyroscope is spinning it tends to
a) maintain its orientation in space.
b) dance around on a string.
c) pull the airplane to the left.

90. Gyroscopic precession is another unusual property of gyroscopes. Any force applied to the axis of a
spinning gyroscope results in
____________________________________________________________________________________

91. The propeller and rotating parts of some engines act as a gyroscope when spinning at high speeds. If
the pilot of an airplane in straight-and-level flight suddenly initiates a sharp pitch down motion, it applies
a tipping force to the propeller. Describe what resultant force will manifest as a result of gyroscopic
precession.

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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92. During the takeoff roll of a tail wheel airplane, the airplane transitions from a nose-high attitude (tail
wheel on the ground) to a nose-level attitude (tail wheel raised off the ground). As a result of gyroscopic
precession, this sudden pitch change can result in what motion of the airplane.
a) The airplane will yaw to the left.
b) The airplane will yaw to the right.
c) The airplane will roll to the right.

93. To correct for the yawing motion that these elements created, it is necessary for the pilot to use proper
application of the ___________________________________.

? 94. In order to thrust the airplane forward, the propeller of an airplane is designed to thrust air
___________________________________.

95. A propeller blade is not flat (parallel to the disc of rotation) but has a slight angle of attack. Why?
a) The propeller is an airfoil and the slight angle of attack is what creates the forward thrust (propeller lift).
b) It is too difficult for propeller manufacturers to make perfectly flat blades. Some twist is unavoidable.
c) The FAA mandates 10° of propeller blade angle of attack.

96. If the spinning propeller is viewed as an airfoil moving through the air, where does the relative wind come
from that flows over the propeller creating lift?
a) As the propeller spins through the air, the air becomes a relative wind that moves over the propeller
airfoil.
b) Air flows outward from the exhaust cylinders of the engine and hits the propeller.
c) Wing tip vortices.

97. When the airplane flies with the nose level, the propeller meets the oncoming air at a perpendicular angle.
In this case, the thrust generated by the upward moving side of the propeller is
a) equal to the thrust generated by the downward side of the propeller.
b) equal to the velocity squared over the distance.
c) equal to the total drag of the aircraft.

98. When the nose of the airplane is high relative to the relative wind, the downward moving side of the
propeller advances into the wind and cuts a faster swath forward through the relative wind than the
relatively slower, backward-moving upward side. This results in
a) more thrust created on the right side of the propeller, and a yawing moment toward the left.
b) the airplane shaking violently to the right side.
c) great induced drag and a slower vertical climb speed.

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Answers to Study Questions

1. d 2. c

3. Thrust Drag Weight Lift

The downward force The upward force The force produced by the The rearward force
from the combined resulting from airflow propeller to move resulting from the
load of the airplane and over the wings that the airplane forward airplane slamming
everything aboard opposes gravity through the air and
disrupting the flow

4. b 19. c
5. equal 20. lift
6. downward components of forces 21. a

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7. b 22. outward
8. angle of attack (or wing surface area) inward
9. b 23. induced
10. by using the flight conrol yoke to manipulate 24. b
the elevator and change the pitch attitude of the 25. b. False
entire airplane 26. four
11. c 27. total
12. directly 28.
faster
13. c
14. Induced drag
15. Form drag
Skin friction
Interference drag
16. in order to decrease parasite drag (and possibly to
provide lift)
17. c 29. b
18. parachutes 30. The airplane will accelerate downward.

31.

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Answers to Study Questions

32.

33. b 42. pitch

34. a pushing or pulling on the control yoke
elevator
35. b
43. yaw
36. the airflow patterns about the airplane in flight moving the rudder pedals
37. c rudder
38. a 44. roll
39. b rotating the control yoke left or right
ailerons
40. fly when out of ground effect
45. at the center of gravity
41. the axis that passes vertically through the center
of gravity
the axis that passes horizontally through the
center of gravity, nose to tail
the axis that passes horizontally through the
center of gravity, wing tip to wing tip

46. Nodding your head “yes” X pitch

☐ ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Shaking your head “no” ☐ pitch ☐ roll X yaw
☐
A horse rearing up X pitch
☐ ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Doing the twist ☐ pitch ☐ roll X yaw
☐
Turning over in your sleep ☐ pitch X roll
☐ ☐ yaw
Tipping over a chain of dominos X pitch
☐ ☐ roll ☐ yaw
Swinging a baseball bat ☐ pitch ☐ roll X yaw
☐
Leaning sideways ☐ pitch X roll
☐ ☐ yaw

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Answers to Study Questions

47. c 73. the heavier airplane
48. a 74. AOA
49. a stall
50. negative 75. a
51. return to 76. b
52. something like “the way in which an object 77. are not without
attempts to returns to its initial state after a advised
disturbance, with oscillations either increasing, 78. b
holding steady, or dampening over time” 79. torque
53. c gyroscopic precession
54. maneuverability corkscrew (or slipstream) effect
P-Factor

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55. the capability of an airplane to respond to the
pilot’s control, especially with regard to flight path 80. torque
and attitude 81. a
56. lateral 82. Tea Cups ride, because riders “rotate” a fixed
pitching central control wheel that results in the riders
dive themselves being spun around the wheel
difficult 83. clockwise
dangerous
84. b
57. b
85. a
58. a
86. vertical stabilizer
59. a (true)
87. left
60. b
88. b
61. c
89. a
62. equal to
90. a force reaction 90° ahead in the direction of
63. c motion
64. b 91. force as if applied to tilt the propeller disk (and
65. increase the airplane) to the left
66. decrease 92. a
67. a (true) 93. rudder pedals
68. b (false) 94. backward
69. stall 95. a
70. drop the nose of the aircraft reducing the AOA 96. a
and “unstalling” the wing 97. a
71. b 98. a
72. a

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