All Questions
23,682
questions
6
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How did jet engine aircraft perform compared to the best reciprocating engine aircraft during WW2?
How did the performance of jets in World War II compare to the cutting edge propeller planes (e.g. P-51, Zero's, etc) of the day?
- 163
16
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Why did some aircraft use hand-crank instead of gravity for alternate gear extension?
I wondered whether the final scene in The Memphis Belle where they hurry to extend the gear by hand crank (because their electric system failed) is realistic, but according to this answer the B-17 ...
- 55.4k
7
votes
4
answers
542
views
Does ATC have to maintain separation on diverging aircraft?
Say you have an eastbound flight at FL210 that wants to climb and a westbound flight on a converging track at FL220 that wants to descend. There's the minimum required 1000 ft vertical separation. ...
- 28k
23
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Why is the Mooney's signature tail profile different from most planes?
In another question, someone said everyone but Mooney has the vertical stabilizer on backward. (As a Cessna driver, this looks backwards to me). Is there an aerodynamic reason or some reason other ...
- 8,270
6
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Can an aircraft at 10,000 feet have sea level pressure in the cabin?
Right now at my university we are busy with a project for designing a conceptual aircraft. Our aircraft is in the CS-23 range, this airplane is a small cargo aircraft with the option for carrying ...
- 61
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Where can I find an accurate list of IATA meal codes? [closed]
I'm trying to "compile" single list of IATA meal codes. By using different airlines and data sources I have found many meal codes. However, I have also found problems with codes that are used to mean ...
- 4,152
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Was there a design flaw in the fuel tanks of the MiG-15/17/19/21?
Wikipedia article on MiG-15:
Another major design deficit was that the tank could develop under-pressure if more than half the fuel had been used, which could easily lead to tank implosions, ...
- 17.3k
4
votes
0
answers
2k
views
What is "one flat movement" of a screw on the fuel control unit?
I'm looking to do a N1 low idle speed adjustment oa King Air B350 with the PT6A-60A engine. There is a note saying that one flat movement of the low idle speed screw in the FCU increases N1 by 3.5%
...
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What lights does the Cessna 172 light rheostat control?
I am part of a team developing a Cessna 172 P model for FlightGear, an open source free flight simulator. We are now programming how the panel and radio lightning rheostat should work, but we found a ...
- 481
18
votes
2
answers
10k
views
Can you get sucked out of a hole in an aircraft?
I had always been under the impression that the forces of air rushing out a broken window or hole in an airplane would be pretty limited and nothing near the levels necessary to carry a body through ...
- 13.1k
6
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Why are min and max temperatures (TN TX) not published in TAFs in the United States?
I know that other countries like Brazil, Argentina, etc. do publish minimum and maximum temperatures in their Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts, abbreviated TN and TX. But why are they not shown in TAFs in ...
- 1,457
11
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Do jet engine exhausts usually glow orange?
In these two lovely images:
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Source: wvi.com
The exhaust end of the engines are glowing bright orange from being so hot. Do they get that hot during normal flight operations, ...
- 15.5k
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Where is an EASA PPL valid outside of Europe?
I am considering obtaining an EASA PPL in the U.K. I would like to know where exactly in the world the license is recognized with little to no additional paperwork/training outside of Europe. ...
- 133
2
votes
0
answers
233
views
Which CS-23 airplane has the lowest takeoff speed?
Among the currently certified CS-23 airplanes (or "Part 23" in FAA-land or your personal region equivalent), which has the lowest rotation speed ($V_r$)?
- 32.1k
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How are ADS-B surface position frames decoded?
I am developing C# code that reads 1090ES Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B).
The ADS-B position messages broadcast by the aircraft's ADS-B transmitter have a different encoding ...
- 219
22
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Why Is This Tyre Square On The BA A380?
One thing I saw on the news recently was the following image:
How has this happened?
Some details:
British Airways A380-800.
Flight BA-32 from Hong Kong to Heathrow.
While climbing out of Hong Kong ...
- 774
8
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is the physical explanation for the formation and position of stagnation points on an object moving in a fluid?
I have some questions regarding the stagnation points, both on an airfoil and on a generic object.
What is the physical explanation for the formation of two stagnation points on an object moving in a ...
- 83
11
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Why don't Transport Category aircraft have a listed Vy?
I was talking with a pilot about an inability to maintain the targeted climb rate in a particular situation and asked him what the Vy was for the jet. He curtly replied "Vy is only for Part 23 ...
- 6,503
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What are the FAA requirements for when to use an airline call sign & flight number versus the aircraft registration number?
Is there any FAA guidance which specifies when a call sign & flight number or registration number must be used for Part 91 & 135 operations?
I am familiar with the guidance on how to obtain ...
- 58.1k
16
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Why do the MiG-15 and MiG-17 have a split air intake in their noses?
MiG-15 and MiG-17 both have a split air intake in their nose. However, they have only one jet engine.
So why is the air intake split? Wouldn't it be a lot less drag to just let the intake flow ...
- 17.3k
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What is the significance of a clover-shaped flight track?
These are portions of two flights by a Cessna T206H on separate days:
The cloverleaf portion of the track was flown at around 8200 feet altitude. This plane is typically seen over the Los Angeles ...
- 1,675
5
votes
2
answers
12k
views
When approaching stall, why does the center of pressure move back?
In an answer to a previous question, Peter Kämpf stated:
Before the lift coefficient of a stalling airplane peaks, the flow over part of the wing will start to separate. Ideally it will do so near ...
- 28k
5
votes
2
answers
626
views
What is the most accurate geometric plane for referencing terrestrial flight attitude?
I have found various definitions for attitude.
Merriam Webster: inclination of the three principal axes of an airplane in flight to the relative wind.
Wikipedia - Attitude Indicator: the orientation ...
- 8,681
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do I achieve a lower stall speed, and capture potential CLmax without enough elevator control authority?
I am running some analysis on a uav, and the results I have found show that with proposed modifications I am unable to trim at my previous $c_{L\:max}$ and thus originally designed stall speed (...
- 435
11
votes
1
answer
9k
views
What FAA rules govern tethered, outdoor UAV flight?
This question is concerning the possibility of operating an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) outdoors—a commercially available quadcopter, for example—but with the distinction of operating the UAV while ...
- 16.5k
16
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What makes the swooping noise when a jet flies overhead?
I've lived near several airports and have grown accustomed to a certain noise a jet plane makes when passing overhead: a swooping sound, very bass-heavy, that dives rapidly in pitch, maybe 1.5 seconds ...
- 261
25
votes
1
answer
6k
views
What is the purpose of fins on the empennage on some helicopters?
The S-70 Black Hawk has some kind of movable surfaces on its tail, look:
Source: Airliners.net
They look like "elevators" on airplanes. Does anybody know what are these things for?
- 11.4k
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Which operating systems do entertainment systems run on? [closed]
Which operating systems run the In-Flight Entertainment Systems on commercial passenger aircraft?
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is setting elevator to certain angle equal to trimming the horizontal stabilizer?
(I was trying to understand the longitudinal stability of aircraft and how it is related to elevator)
If I pull the stick back by, say 2 inches, will it have the same affect as trimming the ...
- 2,349
3
votes
1
answer
535
views
How much does a Black Box Underwater Locator Beacon (ULB) cost?
I'm curious if anybody can provide a rough price estimate for a commercial aviation ULB like those used on Black Boxes.
Area of interest: Europe i.e. Euros, EASA CS-25.
(For instance the RJI ULB-...
- 33k
9
votes
1
answer
8k
views
How is the central hub / shaft casing of a two-spool jet engine assembled?
This is the usual view of a two-spool turbine engine:
(From source)
I don't know if shaft casing or hub are correct names, this is the external skin of the volume around the N1/N2 shafts.
I can't ...
- 68.5k
25
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Why does this shockwave not touch the body that creates it?
In the shock wave of the next image (in a blunt body)
Why the wavefront is in front of the object? It does not assume that if the object travels faster than the speed of sound wave front should be ...
- 2,086
5
votes
2
answers
200
views
How far away from a wing's surface does the air stream remain unaffected?
I would like to know how far above and below a wing's surface an observer must look in order to see no change to the airflow. Not simply visually but mechanically, assuming a perfect scenario. I am ...
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why did the Beechcraft Starship use a delta wing?
From what i've seen delta wings are more appropriate to supersonic designs, and have poor lift/drag ratios at subsonic speeds. The Starship had a cruise speed of 300 kn, so what was the reasoning ...
- 1,059
10
votes
1
answer
437
views
Do aviation intercoms have a standardized compatibility with radio stacks?
I have been seeking an intercom unit for a Cessna 172N that has four seats but only two headset jacks, and I would like my rear passengers to be able to communicate without yelling.
Aviation ...
- 8,681
6
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How reliable is the Airbus FAC calculated gross-weight?
I've noticed some variation between loadsheet weights and FAC (Flight Augmentation Computer) calculated weight. That's of course normal, since loadsheet is calculated with standard weights and FAC ...
- 2,164
5
votes
1
answer
193
views
What are the regulations for non-aircraft targets in airport movement area?
In the movement area at a controlled airport, I would assume any airworthy aircraft is automatically eligible to make requests to enter into, exit from, transit through movement areas, for the purpose ...
- 3,241
7
votes
1
answer
600
views
How do pilots of small planes know where to move people?
On a recent flight from Washington, DC to Toronto, the pilot gave very specific directions to rebalance the plane (a Dash-8 IIRC), something like "someone needs to move to seat 11E."
How did he know ...
- 447
12
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Compressor-Turbine: Why a shaft and not kind of a "rotating drum"?
I'm studying the fundamentals of jet propulsion and its applications. I really have this next question and haven't found an answer yet: why do jets use a shaft (or more) to connect the turbine(s) to ...
- 1,027
9
votes
1
answer
12k
views
How is the crew rest area on the A350 accessed?
As per this image of the A350, the crew rest areas have been placed on the top of the fuselage. How can this be possible and how would the crew get into the rear one since it seems that it is placed ...
- 9,822
14
votes
3
answers
40k
views
Are ducted fans more efficient?
As far as static thrust, does a shrouded/ducted propeller outperform an un-shrouded propeller? It seems that the guide blades on the bottom of the duct would allow little more thrust to be extracted ...
- 511
8
votes
1
answer
316
views
How does the performance of an aircrafts propeller change with respect to distance from obstructions?
I am interested to know if there are any changes in propeller performance (thrust, efficiency) with respect to distance from obstructions such as the fuselage or wings?
I am particularly looking for ...
- 181
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How do large drones communicate with ATC?
For large drones like the Reaper, X-47, and aircraft like that, how do the "pilots" communicate with ATC when they need to?
- 11.7k
116
votes
9
answers
29k
views
Is there a maximum possible size for an airplane?
Is there any theoretical or practical limit to the maximum number of passengers - and therefore size - one can build an airplane for?
1
vote
0
answers
296
views
What bank angles are used for IFR operations? [duplicate]
ICAO requires or recommends 25 degrees bank angle. On Boeing auto pilot it's possible to set 30 degrees to be used. What bank angles usually are used for Holding, ILS intercept en-route when flying ...
- 3,814
10
votes
2
answers
643
views
Can you be cleared to cross a runway *behind* an aircraft on takeoff?
Taking KEWR as an example, let us say that aircraft are taking off from 4L at N and landing on 4R. Can I be cleared to cross 4L at say V, behind the aircraft taking off on 4L, without interrupting ...
22
votes
4
answers
14k
views
How much force is needed to tow an airliner?
Airliners are often (almost always actually) pushed back by a tug or a tractor to leave the gate. The tug can also tow an aircraft that cannot taxi by itself.
How much force is required to pull or ...
- 39.4k
10
votes
1
answer
7k
views
What is a Visual Climb Over Airport (VCOA) and how is it properly executed?
The takeoff minimums and (obstacle) departure procedures for the Asheville Regional Airport (KAVL) have special instructions due to the rising terrain in the vicinity of the airport. Instrument ...
- 14.5k
-1
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What does a drone do when it's out of control range?
According to regulations, what should a mini-drone do once it is out of the control range? Would it continue flying even if it receives no signal?
What about full size drones?
- 123
7
votes
1
answer
479
views
Is commercial domestic service using foreign registry aircraft allowed in the USA?
I recently saw a domestic tour operator using aircraft with foreign registry. The pilots had U.S. CPLs. Can foreign-registered aircraft operate commercially within the U.S.A, in an operation where ...
- 71