Maneuvering Performance and Operational Limitations

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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University *

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Mechanical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Maneuvering Performance and Operational Limitations Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. – Sir Francis Bacon This adage by Sir Francis Bacon rings true with why it is important to understand maneuvering performance and operational limitations. An educated pilot is a safer pilot. For the first few years of aviation, pilots would fly in an aircraft without even understanding how it worked. Pilots were often doomed who did not understand how stalls occurred or the effects of G forces on an aircraft. It is crucial for the safety of a flight to understand load factors because it has a direct effect on wing stalls. An example of an aircraft accident that directly stalled because of an increase in load factor was Colgan Air 3407. When a pilot understands how an increase in load factor affects an aircraft, they are less likely to inadvertently cause the wings to stall. “The load factor, G, on the aircraft is defined as the ratio of the maximum load an aircraft can sustain to the total weight of the aircraft or lift/weight: G = L/W” (Dole, 2017). When the load factor increases, the stall speed will also increase at an exponential rate. Stall speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor. One way to reduce the load factor is to lower the bank angle to no more than 20-30 degrees which also will prevent the wing from exceeding the critical angle of attack and entering an accelerated stall. On February 12, 2009, an accident involving a Bombardier Q400 jet travelling from NJ to NY entered an aerodynamic stall due to excessive load factors. During Colgan Air Flight 3407, the pilots activated a VREF switch used in icy conditions which raised the stick shaker speed and low speed cues. This caused the stick shaker to go off indicating a stall when the aircraft was still well above stall speed and the pilot pulled up in response. “In response to the aft control column movement, the AOA increased to 13°, pitch attitude increased to about 18°, load factor increased from 1.0 to about 1.4 Gs, and airspeed slowed to 125 knots” (Sez, 2015). This increase in load caused the stall speed to also increase and with airspeed below the stall speed, the airflow separated from the wing. The airplane stalled and dived to the ground killing all 49 people on board and 1 on the ground. This terrible accident solidifies how important it is to be educated on anything that can increase the safety of a flight, including load factors. References Dole, C. E., Lewis, J. E., Badick, J. R., & Johnson, B. A. (2017). Flight theory and aerodynamics: A practical guide for operational safety (Third ed.). Wiley. Sez, E. (2015). Colgan Air 3407 case studies. Code 7700. https://code7700.com/case_study_colgan_air_3407.htm Cutler, C. (2022). Why does stall speed increase with bank angle? Bold Method. https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aerodynamics/why-does-aircraft-stallspeed-increase- with-bank-angle-aerodynamically-load/
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