Airframe Bits

Question 1

What is a Fuselage?

Answer 1

The fuselage forms the body of the aircraft to which the wings, tail, engine and undercarriage are attached

Question 2

What do Wings do?

Answer 2

Wings are designed to generate lift and are desinged to be exposed to loads well in excess of the total weight of the aircraft

Question 3

What is an Empennage?

Answer 3

The tail assembly, usually made up of a fixed horizontal and vertical stabiliser, and movable control surfaces.

Question 4

Name the Possible Control Surfaces Found on a Fuselage

Answer 4

Speed brakes and canards

Question 5

Name the Possible Control Surfaces Found on an Empennage

Answer 5

Rudder, elevators, trim tabs, ruddervators

Question 6

Name the Possible Control Surfaces Found on a Wing

Answer 6

Flaps, ailerons, trim tabs, slats, spoilers, winglets

Question 7

What are Ailerons Used for?

Answer 7

Ailerons are used to roll the aircraft around the longitudinal axis

Question 8

What is the Rudder Used for?

Answer 8

The rudder is used to control aircraft yaw around the vertical axis

Question 9

What are Elevators Used for?

Answer 9

Elevators are a control surface on the horizontal stabiliser used to control aircraft pitch around the latitudinal axis

Question 10

What are Trim Tabs?

Answer 10

A tab that can be used to trim out holding force and ease the task of the pilot

Question 11

What are Flaps?

Answer 11

Flaps are used to extend the surface of the wing, to provide greater lift and greater aircraft control at slower speeds. Generally used for takeoff and landing

Question 12

What are Slats?

Answer 12

A slat is a small auxiliary control surface that directs relatively high velocity air into the boundary layer to re-energise it.

Question 13

What are Canards?

Answer 13

A canard is a fuselage mounted horizontal surface that is located forward of the main wing to provide longitudinal stability and control. It may be a fixed, moveable or variable geometry surface and may or may not incorporate control surfaces

Question 14

What do Winglets do?

Answer 14

Winglets improve efficiency of a fixed wing aircraft by reducing induced drag resulting from lift-induced wing tip vortices

Question 15

What are Ruddervators?

Answer 15

Ruddervators are two fixed tail surfaces which act as both horizontal and vertical stabilisers. They perform the function of both rudder and elevators.

Question 16

What are Speed Brakes?

Answer 16

Speed Brakes are surfaces that are used to reduce speed rapidly during landing or manoeuvring

Question 17

What is the Centre of Gravity?

Answer 17

The centre of gravity is a balance point that all aircraft controls act around. Its position is dependant on the weight and postion of all aircraft parts and any load the aricraft carries

Question 18

List the Axis of Movement

Answer 18

Longitudinal Axis (Roll), Lateral Axis (Pitch), Vertical Axis (Yaw)

Question 19

What is Pitch?

Answer 19

Pitch is movement around the lateral axis and is controlled by the elevators

Question 20

What is Roll?

Answer 20

Roll is movement around the longitudinal axis and is controlled by the ailerons

Question 21

What is Yaw?

Answer 21

Yaw is movement around the vertical (also known as the normal) axis and is controlled by the rudder

Question 22

What Does the Control Yoke do?

Answer 22

Controls aircraft roll by pivoting left and right at the top of the control column, and controls aircraft pitch by swinging forward and aft from a point at the base of control column

Question 23

What are the Effects of the Rudder Pedals?

Answer 23

When the rudder pedals are deflected in a direction, it deflects the rudder in that direction, which controls aircraft yaw around the vertical axis

Question 24

What is the Function of a Door?

Answer 24

A door is designed to seal itself closed as the aircraft climbs and pressure differential increases. A plug door is often seen on aircraft with pressurised cabins, and this type of door prevents itself from being opened on a pressurised aircraft

Question 25

How is a Window Constructed?

Answer 25

By laminating several thin, clear, polyvinyl butyl plastic sheets between plies of preformed and pre-tempered glass layers

Question 26

What are the Functions of Landing Gear?

Answer 26

They provide a means of manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground, support the aircraft at a convenient height to give clearance for propellers and flaps etc and to facilitate the loading of weapons or freight and they absorb the kinetic energy of landing and provide a means of deceleration

Question 27

How Does a Turbo Fan Jet Engine Function?

Answer 27

It simultaneously takes in air through the fan (intake), compresses it in the compressor section (compression), mixes it with fuel, ignites it (combustion) and exhausts it through the rear (exhaust). The exhaust drives a turbine that powers the rest of the engine.

Question 28

What is an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)?

Answer 28

A small jet engine that provides aircraft electrical power and bleed air when the engines are not running, and is also used for engine start up

Question 29

What is a the Function of a Thrust Reverser?

Answer 29

Thrust reversers create a temporary diversion of an engines thrust to act against the forward momentum of the aircraft and they provide braking effect during ground operations including landing

Question 30

What are Sensor Pods Used for?

Answer 30

They are used to house sensor packages for a specific mission or capability. These can include: Radar, Datalinks, EO Turrets, Camera, EW Antennae and Wide Area Imagery Sensors

Question 31

What is the Function of Air to Air Refueling (AAR)?

Answer 31

AAR provides inflight refuelling capability for extended range operations. Many RAAF platforms are capable of receiving fuel, and tankers such as the KC-30A provide fuel via a boom and or drogue system. Fuel is transferred to the receiving aircraft whilst inflight

Question 32

What is the Function of Wing Pylons?

Answer 32

Wing pylons are used to mount external pods, weapons or other sytems. They can include: Weapons, sensor pods, decoys or fuel

Question 33

What is the Function of Dorsal Fin Antennae?

Answer 33

They are typically used in Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems

Question 34

What is the Function of a Weapons Bay?

Answer 34

They provide internal carriage of weapons including: missiles, bombs, torpedos and search and survivor supply stores