Flight theory

Worksheet for chapter 3

1. What is the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC)?
a) The average length of the wing
b) The average chord length of the wing
c) The span of the wing
d) The vertical stabilizer length
2. What is the dihedral angle?
a) The angle of the wings from a horizontal axis
b) The angle of the wings from a vertical axis
c) The angle of attack of the wings
d) The angle of incidence of the wings
3. What is the angle of incidence?
a) The angle of the wings from a horizontal axis
b) The angle of the wings from a vertical axis
c) The angle between the wing and fuselage center-lines
d) The angle between the wing and horizontal stabilizer
4. What is the aspect ratio of a wing?
a) The ratio of its span to its mean chord
b) The ratio of its length to its width
c) The ratio of its thickness to its chord
 d) The ratio of its lift to its drag
5. What are the two main components of the aircraft's aerodynamic
force?
a) Lift and thrust
b) Weight and drag
c) Lift and drag
d) Thrust and weight
6. What is the relationship between thrust and weight in an aircraft?
a) Thrust is always greater than weight
b) Thrust is always less than weight
c) Thrust is equal to weight
d) Thrust is independent of weight
7. What is the angle of attack?
a) The angle at which the chord of an aircraft's wing meets the relative
wind
b) The angle between the wing and fuselage center-lines
c) The angle of the wings from a horizontal axis
d) The angle of the wings from a vertical axis
8. What is the center of pressure?
a) The average location of all the pressure acting upon a body moving
through a fluid
b) The point where the lift force is applied on the wing
 c) The point where the drag force is applied on the wing
d) The point where the weight force is applied on the aircraft
9. What is static pressure?
a) The pressure exerted by a fluid when it is at rest
b) The pressure exerted by fluid movement
c) The pressure caused by the airflow over the wings
d) The pressure caused by the velocity of the fluid
10. What is the pitching moment on an airfoil?
a) The moment produced by the lift on the wing
b) The moment produced by the drag on the wing
c) The moment produced by the thrust on the wing
d) The moment produced by the aerodynamic force on the aircraft
11. Subsonic flight refers to a flight of an object with a maximum speed:
a) Equal to the speed of sound
b) greater than the speed of sound
c) less than the speed of sound
d) Dependent on the type of aircraft
12. Which of the following aircraft types are typically subsonic?
a) Airliners
b) Supersonic jets
c) Rockets
 d) Future passenger drones

13. The compressibility effects in subsonic flight start to appear at:

a) Low subsonic speeds
b) High subsonic speeds
c) Supersonic speeds
d) Any speed above Mach 1
14. The performance of an aircraft wing is often affected by:
a) The presence of balloons and airships
b) The shape of the wing profile
c) The use of advanced materials
d) The availability of bigger engines

15. The lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) measures the:

a) Maximum lift coefficient of an airfoil
b) Efficiency of an airfoil in generating lift
c) Range of flight of an airplane
d) Rate of fuel consumption in supersonic flight
16. The lift coefficient (CL) and drag coefficient (CD) of an airfoil
depend on:
a) The angle of attack (α) only
 b) The speed of sound and the Reynolds number
c) The ratio of lift-to-drag and the wing span
d) The type of aircraft and its weight
17. The maximum lift coefficient (CL max) of an aircraft wing is
influenced by:
a) The viscosity and compressibility of the air
b) The shape and size of the wing
c) The angle of attack and the lift-to-drag ratio
d) The availability of devices that increase maximum lift
18. Lift is an aerodynamic force that acts:
a) parallel to the flow direction
b) Opposite to the motion of the aircraft
c) Through the center of pressure of the object
d) In the same direction as the weight of the aircraft
19. Drag is generated by the interaction between a solid body and a fluid
when:
a) There is no motion between the object and the fluid
b) The object moves through a static fluid
c) The fluid moves past a static solid object
d) There is no physical contact between the object and the fluid
20. The magnitude of drag depends on:
a) The viscosity and compressibility of the air
b) The Reynolds number and lift coefficient
c) The weight and thrust of the aircraft
d) The ratio of wing span to wing area
21. An infinite wing has no wing tips, which results in:
a) Increased downwash and induced drag
b) Decreased downwash and induced drag
c) Increased lift coefficient
d) Decreased lift coefficient
22. Thin airfoil theory idealizes the flow around an airfoil as:
a) Three-dimensional flow around a thick airfoil
b) Two-dimensional flow around a thin airfoil
c) Turbulent flow around a cambered airfoil
d) Compressible flow around a symmetrical airfoil
23. The center of pressure and aerodynamic center of a symmetric airfoil
are coincident and lie:
a) At the leading edge of the airfoil
b) At the trailing edge of the airfoil
c) One-quarter of the chord ahead of the leading edge
d) One-quarter of the chord behind the leading edge
24. Which wing configuration is advantageous for high-speed flight and
promotes low drag?
a) Tapered (Trapezoidal) Wing
b) Rectangular Wing
c) Gull Wing
d) Delta Wing
25. An elliptical wing design can stall all at once due to:
a) Uneven lift distribution
b) Smooth leading and trailing edges
c) High angle of attack
d) Varied stall characteristics
26. Which wing design provides top performance and supersonic speeds
while minimizing drag?
a) Ogive Wing
b) Swept Back Wing
c) Variable Sweep Wing
d) Oblique Wing
27. The wing structure of an aircraft consists of:
a) Spars, ribs, and stringers
b) Leading and trailing edges
c) Wingtips and wing fences
 d) Ailerons and flaps
28. Wing stringers are thin strips of material attached between the ribs
to:
a) Stiffen the skin and prevent buckling
b) Carry bending moments and shear stresses
c) Separate fuel tanks within the wing
d) Transmit aerodynamic forces
29. The most heavily loaded parts of an aircraft wing are the:
a) Wingtips
b) Ribs
c) Spars
d) Stringers
30. The yaw axis of an aircraft is perpendicular to the wings and lies in
the plane of the:
a) Vertical stabilizer
b) Horizontal stabilizer
c) Fuselage
d) Center of gravity
31. What is the center of gravity (CG) of an object?
a) The point where all the mass appears to be located
b) The point where all the weight of an object is concentrated
 c) The point where all the forces acting on an object are balanced
d) The point directly above the base of support of an object
32. Which type of equilibrium is characterized by a body being
displaced and then returning to its equilibrium position due to a restoring
force?
a) Stable equilibrium
b) Unstable equilibrium
c) Neutral equilibrium
d) None of the above
33. What does longitudinal stability refer to in flight dynamics?
a) The tendency of the aircraft to reduce its yawing and return to a
straight position
b) The stability of an aircraft in the pitching plane
c) The stability of an aircraft in the roll plane
d) The stability of an aircraft in the lateral axis
34. What is directional stability also known as?
a) Pitch stability
b) Roll stability
c) Yaw stability
d) None of the above
35. Which control surface is responsible for controlling the roll stability
of an aircraft?
 a) Ailerons
b) Elevator
c) Rudder
d) Flaps
36. What is the primary flight control in pitch, roll, and yaw provided
by?
a) Spoilers
b) Flaps
c) Ailerons
d) Control surfaces
37. What is the purpose of spoilers on low drag aircraft?
a) To increase drag
b) To disrupt airflow over the wing and reduce lift
c) To increase the effective curvature of the wing
d) To reduce the stalling speed by altering the airflow over the wing
38. What are flaps primarily used for?
a) To increase drag
b) To disrupt airflow over the wing and reduce lift
c) To increase the maximum lift coefficient of the aircraft
d) To reduce the stalling speed for take-off and landing
39. What is the purpose of slats on a wing?
 a) To increase drag
b) To disrupt airflow over the wing and reduce lift
c) To increase the stalling speed by altering the airflow over the wing
d) To reduce the stalling speed for take-off and landing
40. What is the function of trim tabs?
a) To provide pitch stability
b) To increase drag
c) To control the roll stability of an aircraft
d) To alter the airflow over the wing
41. What is the range of speeds in which transonic flight occurs?
a) Below Mach 0.8
b) Mach 0.8 to 1.2
c) Above Mach 1.2
d) Above Mach 5
42. What is the speed range for supersonic flight?
a) Below the speed of sound
b) Mach 1 to Mach 5
c) Mach 1 to Mach 1.2
d) Mach 5 to Mach 10
43. What causes a sonic boom?
a) The vibration of the aircraft
 b) The shock wave created by the aircraft
c) The release of pressure after a shock wave
d) The interaction of inertial, aerodynamic, and elastic forces
44. What is buffet in aircraft terminology?
a) A loud noise caused by supersonic flight
b) A vibration during maneuvers at cruising speed
c) A sudden change in wind speed or direction
d) A self-excited vibration of the aircraft structure
45. Which of the following is a potential issue during takeoff?
a) Runway overruns
b) Flutter
c) Center of gravity travel effect
d) Sonic boom
46. How does a forward center of gravity (CG) affect an aircraft's
stability?
a) It increases stability and maneuverability
b) It decreases stability and maneuverability
c) It has no effect on stability and maneuverability
d) It improves fuel efficiency
47. What is the effect of an aft center of gravity (CG) on an aircraft's
fuel efficiency?
 a) It increases fuel efficiency
b) It decreases fuel efficiency
c) It has no effect on fuel efficiency
d) It improves stall recovery characteristics
48. Which of the following is true about flutter?
a) It is a vibration caused by buffet
b) It is a self-excited vibration of the aircraft structure
c) It is a condition of flight in which airflow is below, at, and above
the speed of sound
d) It is a loud noise heard during supersonic flight
49. What is the primary factor that determines the center of gravity (CG)
of an aircraft?
a) The weight of the aircraft
b) The temperature of the airflow
c) The speed of the aircraft
d) The angle of attack of the aircraft
50. How can the center of gravity (CG) of an aircraft be managed?
a) By adjusting the angle of attack
b) By redistributing cargo and passenger weight
c) By increasing the speed of the aircraft
d) By maintaining a constant temperature of the airflow