Brooks Exam Pre-Brief - some gotchas that got me

User 201 · 2011-01-22T03:57:06Z

Hi All, OK here is my contribution to a Aerodynamics pre brief and I can see how CASA play with words as much as test your subject knowledge, (so read and break apart the terms in each question) so here goes, I will let you know how I go in the Exam on Monday (havent done the Cyber exam tests yet, will login Monday morning before the exam, but have done all the written prep exams from both Bob Tait and WA Aviation College (both quite different). Important to understand the difference between terminology that relates to up to stalling angle and post stalling angle. Drag continues to increase even after stalling, and some questions will relate to the top of the curve (stalling angle) whereas some will relate to the phase AFTER stalling. Know your Stabilities (Directional - Yaw (the strongest), Longitudinal - Pitch(normally the next strongest) Lateral - Roll (the weakest) so you know how to answer a question that relates and the Center of gravity moving forward - results in Strongest increase in Directional stability, also an increase in longitudinal stability, with no increase in lateral stability. Know your trim and rudder tabs (page 12.2) both aileron and rudder and effects of bending them - ie trim tab on rudder should be bent in the direction you WANT the ball or the aircraft to move (T&B indicator) and tab down wing down (in the case of Aileron). Understand the difference between Ice and frost in terms of their effect on stall angle AND speed. Understand that Propeller Torque (not Engine Torque) wants to ROLL the aircraft in the opposite direction of rotation (not YAW which is what happens on a tailwheel based on one of two other forces "Gyroscopic Precession" (occuring only when lifting / lowering the tail) AND Asymmetric blade effect or P factor (thrust shift towards descending blade side ie left side on standard US engines) which occurs whilst the aircrafts prop is "on an angle" in respect to the relative airflow (ie as Bob says on 4.5 "in a nosewheel aircraft there is LITTLE OR NO asymmetric blade effect or gyroscopic affect during the takeoff run as the aeroplane is sitting in a level attitude to begin with". Understand the C of G on a tailwheel ACFT is BEHIND the main wheels! (ie see Inertia) Understand the one page of drag lift curves found in the CASA "vfr day booklet" and make sure you can label the axis of each. I only found this out at the flight school. Understand that during a pull out from a dive the stall compared to level flight will occur at a HIGHER indicated air speed but the SAME angle of attack. Understand that during a glide to ground at best glide L/D although the angle of glide will be reduced, the actual glide endurance will not be affected as long as best glide is maintained (remember endurance is about time not distance. Understand that the word Power is about a RATE (rates always involve time)and understand the difference between surplus thrust on climb angle vs suplus power on climb RATE. Memorise your best way of seeing (although its a square root of the load factor a calculator is not allowed to be taken into the exam) how much on ANY stalling speed the new stall speed will be for any common given angle of bank - see page 9.5 its great!) Be really careful you understand the difference between IAS, CAS and TAS in that IAS has position error and instrument error, whereas CAS (more accurate) has mainly only temperature and altitude errors, whereas TAS (the most accurate) considers temperature and altitude (pressures) and know what things ie turns use TAS. IAS and CAS do not take densitive errors into account relative to the air mass. Understand that the Frise Ailerons(wegde shaped) EVEN UP drag produced by ailerons. Understand that in the case of Frise Ailerons the top alieron (only) protrudes higher into the airflow but it is PARASITE drag on the BOTTOM of the wedge (of the upwards aileron only) that reduces the need for rudder input. Understand the reasons for mass and aerodynamic balancing and the diffences between them. Understand that lift on an aircraft always acts PERPENDICULAR (90 deg) to the RELATIVE AIRFLOW and not anything else. Drag and thrust on the other hand act in PARALLEL with the RELATIVE AIRFLOW (Thanks Richard!). Understand that CASA will have right answers that are wrong on the test, simply because on the same answer as a correct (not right) answer they throw in something that is not as SPECIFIC or INCORRECT as another answer, making the latter the right answer... Understand that extra power is required in a steep turn NOT because of the loss of the vertical component of lift caused by bank but RATHER the increased INDUCED DRAG caused by the HIGHER ANGLE OF ATTACK. Hope this helps, it was great to be able to share with you where I had look more than once!

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Topic starter 20/09/2011 1:48 pm

Hi KC,

The best AGK tips I can remember were in the exam brief gotchas I posted. MET was easy I found as long as you studied it and took some notes. I got my highest score in that one of 98% so was fairly happy. I haven't sat HUF yet but was told it's the easiest of them all. Aero wasnt as bad as AGK, but it did make sure you knew your stuff, and I did put some things down on CADA in the forum, so check it out first.

I know about the exam nerves, so now I study so much the last three days / nights before the exam (in between at least a couple of Cyber exams).

Just re-read the BT book and take some meaningful notes on points you think they will test you on, then sit the cyberexam.

Brook

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