Omni Aviation Corporation

What is Theory of Flight?

 The introduction of basic aircraft components

 The study of the physics involving flight

 The study of the air and how it interacts with the
aircraft - Aerodynamics
Why Study Theory of Flight?
 Flying is unnatural to humans
 Top 3 causes of pilot error are related
to theory of flight
 Theory of flight is the foundation of
succeeding subjects
 Good understanding of this subject
makes you a GREAT pilot.
Leonardo Da Vinci Sketch
November 21, 1873
Launched from the
garden of the Chateau La
Muette near Paris, the first
manned flight in history is
made by Pilatre de Rozier
and the Marquis d’
Arlandes in a Hot Air
Baloon designed by the
brothers Joseph and
Etienne Montgolfier
1881 through 1896
German engineer and
inventor, Otto Lilienthel with the
help of his brother Gustav
proved to the western world that
flight in a heavier-than-air
machine was achievable. They
use their mechanical training to
translate conclusions made
about the flight birds into
practical air vehicles. From an
artificial hill constructed for
launching his gliders, he made
2000 successful glides.
December 17, 1903
Near Kitty hawk North Carolina, Orville and
Wilbur Wright achieved the first powered,
sustained, and controlled airplane flight in history.
Four flights were made; the first for 12 seconds,
the last for 59 seconds.
May 21, 1927
Charles Lindbergh lands
his airplane, the SPIRIT of St.
Louis, at le Bourget field in
Paris after completing the
first solo nonstop translantic
flight. His total flight time from
New York to Paris was 33
hours, 30 minutes and 29.8
seconds.
May 21, 1932
Amelia Earhart became the
first woman to pilot an
airplane solo across the
Atlantic. Gaining fame for
being the first woman
passenger in a flight across the
Atlantic for four years earlier,
from Newfoundland to
Northern Ireland a 14 hours
and 52 minutes flight. Then
followed on August 25,1932 a
transcontinental flight which
covered 2,448 miles from Los
Angeles to Newark
October 1, 1942
Piloted by Robert M. Stanley, the Bell XP-59A
Aircomet, the United States first turbojet aircraft
made its inaugural flight at Muroc Dry Lake,
California. The Bell XP59A is the direct ancestor of
all American jet propelled airplanes.
 October 14, 1947
Captain Charles E.
“Chuck” Yeager
becomes the first man
to fly an aircraft beyond
the speed of sound. He
pilots the air launched
experimental Bell x-1
rocket propelled
research airplane.
Glamorous Glennis at a
speed of 700 mph at
42,000 feet.
Air craft category:
Airplane, Rotorcraft, Glider,
Lighter than air, Powered Lift

Airplane classes :
Single Engine Land, Multi
Engine Land,
Single Engine Sea, Multi
Engine Sea

Airplane type:
Cessna 152, Boeing 747,
Airbus 320, Robinson22,
Varieties of Aircraft
Parts of an Airplane
Fuselage
 Contains:
 Cockpit
 Passenger compartment
 Cargo compartment
Fuselage Construction
 Truss Type
 Monocoque
 Semi-monocoque
Wings
 Number of wing
 Monoplane
 Biplane
Monoplane, low wing
 Wing location
 Low Wing
 Mid-wing
 High Wing

Monoplane, high wing

Biplane
 Wings
 Contain:
 Fuel Tanks
 Balances the weight on the airplane
 Ailerons
 Primary Flight Control
 Flaps
 Secondary Flight Control
 Aid the pilot in takeoff and landing
Empennage
 Located in the rear section of the aircraft
 Contains:
 Stabilizers = “Feathers to a dart”
 Elevators
 Primary Flight control
 Trim Tabs
 “poor man’s autopilot” Secondary ..
 Rudder
 Primary Flight control
 Stabilators
 Stabilator
 Stabilizer + Elevator
 Servo tab
 Increases effectiveness of
controls
 Anti-servo tab
 Provides the pilot with a “feel”
 Prevents overcontrolling
Undercarriage
 Configurations
 Conventional
 Castoring tailwheel
 Tricycle Type
 Steerable nosewheel
Classification Of Landing Gear
 Retractable gear
 Fix gear

Why retract gear?

- Having the gear down creates plenty of drag, making
planes use more fuel.
Landing Gear Strut
 Spring Steel

 Bungee Cord Strut

 Oleo Strut
Undercarriage
 Differential Braking

 On conventional airplanes, differential braking is the

only way to steer on the ground!
Powerplant
Lift
 “Upward Force created by the wings as air passes above
and below them.”
 Perpendicular to the aircraft’s wings*
 Focus-point : “Center of Pressure (CP)
Theories on Lift
 Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion: “For every action there is
an equal and opposite reaction”
Theories on Lift
 Bernoulli’s Principle
 “The Venturi”
Find the Venturi
L
The Lift Formula

LIFT = CL x ½ ρv² x s

•“Component of Lift” •Airspeed •Surface area

•Curvature
•Angle of Attack
Airfoils
 “Any surface that interacts with the air to (1) create lift,
(2) provide thrust, and (3) control the airplane”

 (1) Wing
 (2) Propeller
 (3) Elevators, Ailerons, Rudder, and Trim tabs
Types of Airfoils
 Cambered: Upper surface is curved more.
 Symmetrical: Both upper and lower surfaces have the
same curvature
 Parts of an Airfoil
Upper Camber
Chord Line

Leading Edge

Lower Camber

Relative Wind

RELATIVE WIND: Wind felt parallel to, and in the

Trailing Edge
opposite direction of travel.

ANGLE OF ATTACK: Angle formed between the

relative wind and the chord line
Stalls
 A Stall is an event when the wing stops flying.
 Happens due when the critical angle of attack is
exceeded.

Relative wind
Signs of a stall
 Mushy Feeling of flight controls
 Vibration And Buffeting
 Stall Warning device
 Vertical speed decreasing
Stall Recovery
 Reduce the angle of attack FIRST!
 HOW?
 Push the stick forward! (relieve backpressure)

Relative wind
Where is the stall speed for YOUR
airplane?
 Pilot’s Operating Handbook
 Vso = Stall in landing configuration (VS-”out”)
 VS1 – Stall in clean configuration (VS-”in”)
 Stall speeds valid for:
 STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT
 Gross weight published
Weight
 “Downward pull of Gravity”
 Oriented straight into the ground
 Components
 Airplane structure
 Fuel
 Pilot
 Baggage
 Passengers
 Equipment

 Focus-point: Center of Gravity (CG)

 Aircraft pivots around the CG
Angle of incidence

Low angle of incidence High angle of incidence

“Angle at which the wing is aligned with the body (longitudinal axis)
of the aircraft.”
Thrust
 “Forward motion produced by the aircraft powerplant”
 Oriented with the engine
 Newton’s 3rd law of motion
 Accelerates a mass of air rearward
Thrust
 Focus-point: Thrust-line
Drag
 “Resistance to forward motion an airplane experiences
as it moves through the air”
 Opposite to direction of travel
 Focus-point: Dragline
 Types
 Induced Drag
 Parasite Drag
Induced Drag
 Produced whenever the airplane is producing lift
 Increases with Angle of Attack (or flying at low
speeds)
Induced Drag = Wake Turbulence

Importance to Pilots:
•Wake Turbulence descends downward in the wake of an
aircraft
•Stay away from these! You may find yourself losing
control of the aircraft
Parasite Drag
 “Any drag experienced that is not associated with the
production of lift”
 Increases with speed
Form Drag
 Form Drag
 Aircraft structures protruding into the wind
 Streamlining decreases form drag
Skin Friction Drag
 Caused by aircraft’s rough surfaces
 Creates mini-vortices, creating drag
Interference Drag
 Caused by intermixing currents of air around the
aircraft structure
 Happens where aircraft surfaces meet each other
 Total Drag
 Induced Drag +
Parasite Drag =
TOTAL DRAG

 L/D Max
L/D Max
 “Lift is the benefit you get, Drag is the price you pay for it”
 L/D max is where lift is produced with the least amount of
drag
 Located in your Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH)
 Labeled as “Best Glide Speed”
 Check the engine failure procedures for the best glide speed.

Importance to Pilots:
Everytime you have a question about your airplane, refer to the
POH!
Aspect Ratio :
 Relationship between the length and average wide of
wing
 Wing Area : Total Surface of wing
Wing Planforms : Shape Of airplane wing
when view from above or below
 Elliptical
 Rectangular
 Tapering
 Swept back
 Delta wing
 ….
Flaps
 Surfaces that extend from the trailing edge of the wing
to produce additional lift and drag.
 Flaps change chord line shape, increasing angle of
incidence.
Types of Flaps
 Importance to Pilots: Why
use flaps?
 Shorter takeoff roll
 Slower landing speeds
 Steeper descent path
 Better view of the runway on landing
The Ground Effect
 A phenomenon that occurs when the aircraft is within
1 wingspan of the ground.
 Induced Drag is reduced and lift is increased
 Prominent on takeoffs and landings
The Ground Effect
 TAKEOFF: Allows the airplane to become airborne earlier.

 LANDING: Pilot may continue to “float” down the runway

on landing.