Types of aircraft
Lighter - than - air
Heavier - than - air
Lighter - than - air
- Balloon
- Airship
Heavier - than - air
- Power driven
- Non power driven
Non power driven
-Glider
Power driven
- Aeroplanes
- Rotorcraft
Rotorcraft
- Helicopter
- Gyrocopter
Aeroplanes
- Landplane
- Seaplane
- Amphibian
ICAO type description
First character
AC category
- Landplane
- Seaplane
- Amphibian
- Helicopter
- Gyrocopter
- Tilt-wing aircraft
ICAO type description
Second character
- Number of engines (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8)
- C when engines are coupled and driven by a single propeller
ICAO type description
Third character
Type of engine(s)
- Piston engine
- Turboprop engine
- Jet engine
Wake turbulence categories
- Light (7.000 kg or less)
- Medium (between 7.000 and 136.000 kg)
- Heavy (above 136.000 kg)
ICAO approach categories
- A - IAS less than 91 kt
- B - IAS 91-121 kt
- C - IAS 121-141 kt
- D - IAS 141-166 kt
- E - IAS 166-211 kt
Advantages and disadvantages od piston engines.
Advantages: power changes are almost instantaneous, cost effective for small aircraft, economic on low levels and low speeds
Disadvantages: engine performance reduces as altitude increases, high maintenence requirements, vibrations, low power to weight ratio
Advantages and disadvantages of jet engines
Advantages: fuel efficient at high altitudes, high speeds give the potential for long range flights, smooth flying, relative power to weight ratio, more effective cooling, low maintenence
Disadvantages: thrust depends on the outside air temperature, power changes are slow, require climb to high altitudes to be economical
Advantages and disadvantages of turboprop engines
Advantages: in lower levels a propeller has a higher efficiency than jet exhaust, can operate into shorter runways than jets, the propeller can be feathered to minimize drag in case of engine failure
Disadvantages: propellers lose efficiency at high altitudes, vibration level can cause passenger discomfort, older generation turboprops are slow
Versions of propellers
- fixed pitch propellers
- variable pitch propellers
Controlls in pitch, yaw and roll
Pitch - lateral axis, elevator
Yaw - vertical axis, rudder
Roll - longitudinal axis, ailerons
Parts of an aerofoil
Chord, chord line, trailing edge, leading edge, lower surface, upper surface, maximum thickness, mean chamber line
Lift is made of which pressure types?
Static pressure and dynamic pressure
Total drag is made of which drag types?
- Induced drag
- Parasite drag: interference drag, form drag, skin friction drag
Forces in climb
Less lift is required in comparison to level flight, more thrust is required to balace the drag
Forces in descent
Less lift is required in comparison to level flight, less thrust is required to level the drag
Forces in turn
The greater the bank angle at which aircraft is turning, the greater lift is required, aircraft structure and persons on board will experience weigh in times (bank angle 60 degrees is 2G force for the people inside)
Speed range
Interval from the minimum to the maximum speed
