What is Aircraft: Definition and 349 Discussions

An aircraft is a vehicle or machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships (including blimps), gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.The human activity that surrounds aircraft is called aviation. The science of aviation, including designing and building aircraft, is called aeronautics. Crewed aircraft are flown by an onboard pilot, but unmanned aerial vehicles may be remotely controlled or self-controlled by onboard computers. Aircraft may be classified by different criteria, such as lift type, aircraft propulsion, usage and others.

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  1. S

    Calculating Mass MoI of Aircraft Accurately

    Hi all, Just a quick question about calculating the mass MoI for aircraft (accurately). Is the whole of the aircraft broken up into pieces, the mass calculated for the component, and then transformed into a point mass? Or the integral calculated over the entire mass of the aircraft as point...
  2. B

    Measuring the density of an aircraft carrier

    An object floats if it is less dense than water. I'm assuming that an aircraft carrier can float because there are several rooms in it with air. What happens when the door on the upper most floor is opened? Does the air inside that room still contribute to the total average density of the...
  3. C

    How far the aircraft slides before it comes to rest ?

    Homework Statement An aircraft has to make an emergancey landing on a runway without landing gear , if the aircraft lands at 40 m\s-1 and μ is 0.5 , How far the aircraft slides before it comes to rest ? Homework Equations X=2 μ g \ v2 The Attempt at a Solution 2 x 0.5 \...
  4. C

    Calculate the distance the aircraft has travelled ?

    Please HELP me solve this : An aircraft at rest experiences a uniform acceleration of 6 ms-2 for 4 seconds , It maintains a constant velocity for 12 seconds and is then brought to rest in 7 seconds by a uniform retardation . Calculate the distance the aircraft has traveled ?
  5. P

    Aircraft mechanics literature

    Hello! I am a student of mechanical engineering, but I always loved aircrafts, and I want to get involved with aerospace engineering as soon as possible. Could you please suggest any good books about basics of flight mechanics on university level? I googled it a bit, but there are so...
  6. C

    The illusion of the hanging aircraft

    As I driving on an interstate yesterday in the area of an airport, I saw over to my right a larger commerical jet flying in the opposite direction that I was driving. It was slightly angled up, so I took that to mean it was just flying away from the airport. I noticed how it just seemed...
  7. J

    Why Should You Consider OpenVSP for Aircraft Modeling?

    http://www.openvsp.org/
  8. mheslep

    Max aircraft range - electric powered

    I'm trying to come up with some ballpark ranges for RC electric powered aircraft. The literature I find so far on range, like the Breguet range equation, seems focused on mass change from fuel consumption which is not the case in battery powered electric aircraft. So I thought I would start...
  9. D

    A few questions about Aircraft Physics.

    Ok so as i stated in the title I will be asking a couple of questions about Aircraft physics and the Antonov AN 225 Aircraft itself. 1. Do you know any good websites where I can find information on the Antonov AN 225, I have looked and all I can find is the specs (dimensions), I would like to...
  10. B

    Using Optics To Make An Aircraft Invisible

    Using Optics To Make An Aircraft "Invisible" Homework Statement Does it seem possible (or practical) to make airplanes invisible to microwave radar by applying some kind of anti-reflection coating? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I'm not sure what to say for this. I...
  11. C

    Calculating aircraft fuel consumption

    I'm doing some research into advances in aircraft and need to calculate some (rough) values for aircraft consumption per passenger. The only method I can think of is calculating the maximum fuel weight at maximum payload (Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) - Maximum Zero Fuel Weight (MZFW)) and...
  12. M

    Aircraft Air Bleed Valve function

    Hi guys, I'm relatively inexperienced with aircraft engines and I'm keen to understand how the actual mechanism for bleeding air from the system works. I know that there are bleed valves on a plane, which remove hot air from the system and roue it to other areas to take advantage of this...
  13. K

    Aircraft Propeller Balancing Discussion

    Hi all, May i know anyone here have been involve in aircraft propeller balancing before? i was requested to do test on aircraft propeller static & dynamic balancing using Bruel & Kjaer vibration equipment. May i know anyone have any experience with it and mind to share with me? thanks
  14. M

    Ideas for a lecture in new technologies in aircraft structure

    ideas for a lecture in "new technologies in aircraft structure" Hi everybody... One of my doctors wants to give a practical and a little technical lecture about "new technologies in aircraft structure" and he is requisting ideas from us... What practical ideas can be presented ...
  15. C

    Aerospace Projects: Ideas for Third-Year Aircraft Engineering Student

    Hiy there I'm a third year aircraft engineering student and looking for some project ideas. I'm am more mechanically minded so something mechanically or design and test based, how ever I'm open to avionics based things aswell. thanks a lot. Cw
  16. Ranger Mike

    Is China's New Aircraft Carrier Design Real or Just a Virtual Concept?

    I got this from a friend over the internet...is this design practical or just some virtual design?
  17. V

    Declassified Black Project Aircraft

    I recently came across an article detailing some old top secret aircraft which got declassified. Here are a few of them and a short description of each from the article. Lockheed Have Blue Northrop Tacit Blue Boeing Bird of Prey The boeing bird of prey appears to be one of the most...
  18. M

    Aircraft Fuel Booster Pump - Centrifugal & Immersed in Fuel

    What is the correct way to put limitation on different aircraft flying conditions with respect to the cavitation point of view of the Fuel booster pump in the aircraft? The pump is immersed in the fuel and the fuel tank is vented to atmosphere(in atmospheric pressure, which will change with...
  19. W

    Advice on building material for a roadable ultralight aircraft

    I am dead set on building my own ultralight aircraft and I need some advice on construction materials. The aircraft has to weigh less than 254lbs [including engine and prop] and has to support itself, and 500lbs worth of pilot, cargo, fuel, instruments, and eventually a rear wheel drive...
  20. T

    Force exerted by aircraft dive brakes- where did I go wrong?

    Homework Statement An aircraft of 5000kg mass is diving vertically downwards at a speed of 500 knots. The pilot operates the dive brakes at a height of 10 000m and reduces the speed to 325 knots at 7000m. If the average air resistance of the remainder of the aircraft during the deceleration...
  21. B

    Aircraft Impact Damage on Movable Concrete Block vs. Non-movable Concrete Block

    The following excerpt is taken from a Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) publication[1]: “In the year 1988 a large scale crash test was performed at the US Sandia National Laboratory in which a Phantom military jet with a weight of 19 tons was impacted at a velocity of 774 km/h...
  22. B

    Optimizing Aircraft Approach Path with Stewart Calculus

    http://www.stewartcalculus.com/data/CALCULUS%206E%20Early%20Transcendentals/upfiles/projects/ess_wp_0205_stu.pdf I'm sure this question has already been asked in some form so if I'm repeating, my apologies. I’m not looking for an answer (not trying to have others do my work for me). However...
  23. E

    Shifting from aircraft maintenance to designing, is it possible?

    is it possible to progress from being aircraft maintenace engineer or technician to become a designer like thermodynamicist, propulsion, aerodynamicist, systems engineer ...etc? i mean is there such a further study courses that will upgrade the maintenance engineer/technician to a professional...
  24. E

    Is African Aircraft's First Flight Doomed to Fail?

  25. E

    Calculating Force on Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy

    Homework Statement The aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy has mass 7.4*10^7kg. When its engines are developing their full power of 280000 hp, the John F. Kennedy travels at its top speed of 35 knots. If 70% of the power output of the engines is applied to pushing the ship through the water...
  26. D

    Rolling moment of a model aircraft in a wind tunnel

    Hello, I am designing a rig to measure the rolling moment of a model aircraft. The rig will have a settable yaw, pitch and roll, but only the rolling moment is to be measured. The model aircraft will be similar to an Airfix model. Approx dimensions: L221 x W152. I was just wondering if anyone...
  27. S

    Is there software available to visualize helicopter dynamics in Matlab/Simulink?

    I'm simulating helicopter dynamics but would like to better visualize the behavior of the helicopter and so I'm looking for some existing software solution. Ideally this would be similar to an aircraft simulator which would be rather taking position and attitude time series as input instead of...
  28. P

    Noise Shielding by Rear-Mounted Engines on Aircraft

    How is the noise sheilding provided by the fuselage when the engines are mounted at the rear end of the aircraft ? for example-SAX 40
  29. S

    What is Motive Flow in an Aircraft Fuel System?

    Hi, Could someone explain what is a motive flow in the aircraft fuel system? Thanks, Suresh
  30. S

    Need help finding aircraft sizing software?

    Hey guys, I'm looking for some software capable of allowing the user to input a specific mission profile and ultimately calculating empty weight and fuel weights providing input such as your L/D, cruise altitude, AR, Swet, Sref, ect. I'd even be interested in more advanced programs with the...
  31. O

    Energy absorption by aircraft fuselage

    Homework Statement 1. When an aircraft flies above the clouds during the daylight period it is continuously exposed to sunlight. This sunlight heats up the cabin. Although the outside air temperature at cruise altitude is – 56 degrees this is still one of the determining factors for the sizing...
  32. A

    Unmanned Aircraft System - Why not Helicopters?

    Unmanned Aircraft System - Why not Helicopters?? Hello everyone! i was a little curious to know the reason behind choosing a fixed wing Aircraft over a helicopter for a typical unmanned reconnaissance Aircraft system. The ones in service with air forces worldwide rarely use helis. Apart from...
  33. M

    G-loading on aircraft (simple)

    Homework Statement Consider an aircraft flying with speed 300 ft/s in a steady pull-up maneuver with pitch rate q = 0.1 rad/sec. What is the g-loading experienced by the pilot of the aircraft just as the maneuver begins (i.e. when the aircraft is still level)? The attempt at a solution So...
  34. E

    Velocity feedback damping in aircraft

    Describe velocity feedback damping in relation to aircraft systems? my attempt at an answer: I know what damping is, and i know what velocity feedback is, I just can see how they fit together. I think it's something along the lines of; an auxilery power unit has a speed sensor...
  35. A

    What are some of the trade-offs when it comes to aircraft design?

    What are some of the "trade-offs" when it comes to aircraft design? I mean things like smaller by-pass ratio means more fuel efficient but then that also means a smaller engine. What are some of the other trade-offs when designing aircrafts new and old? How do the different design drivers...
  36. Y

    Trying to power devices in general aviation aircraft

    Hello, Don't know if anyone out there can help, but thought this would be a good place to ask. I have a small aircraft (piper arrow) that I would like to run a few devices in while traveling. These devices include a laptop, a GPS puck (GPS18) and custom unit that retains postions...
  37. E

    Aircraft propulsion technology

    Can anyone help me? I'm doing a question on aircraft propulsion technology and I'm stuck. The question is: 'If the mass of air through a propeller is 1000 Kg/s, the aircraft's velocity is 100 m/s and the slipstream velocity is 120 m/s, calculate the thrust? Attempt at answer...
  38. A

    Resultant force on aircraft door

    Homework Statement The air pressure at the altitude an aircraft is flying at is 28kPa. If the pressure inside the cabin is maintained at 100kPa, what is the resultant force on a door of area 2m^2 in the side of the aircraft? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I am not...
  39. S

    Air Intakes of Soviet Aircraft

    Air Intakes?? Source: Russian Fifth-Generation Fighter Technology Demonstrators Yefim Gordon Original translation by Dmitriy Komissarov Question is simple; is Soviet thinking while choosing from 3 given air intakes is correct & why US think otherwise??
  40. N

    Finding required thrust power for jet engine aircraft.

    Homework Statement I need to find required thrust power for lockeed s3a. I know Thrust=Drag in horizontal flight. For take off, need to use the take off angle, split the Weight (G) into 2 components using the takeoff angle... Same for landing. Given: G=19278kg ---> 19278*9.81=189,1kN...
  41. B

    Aircraft trajectory from point a to point b

    Hello! I've started working on a project that involves some light weight aircrafts. I am not a physicist(not at all) at my origin, I'm more the computer science and mathematics kind of fellow . I need to determine an aircraft trajectory form a point ( longitude and latitude ) to another taking...
  42. H

    Calculating Propulsive Efficiency of an Aircraft Propeller

    An aircraft is flying straight and level at a speed of 150 mph. Its propeller has a diameter of 8 ft and is generating 300 lbf of thrust at an altitude of 3000 ft. What is the propulsive efficiency of the propeller at this operating point? no equations given, but from searching around I've...
  43. H

    Calculating Aircraft Displacement & Velocity

    Homework Statement A radar station detects an aircraft (moving east to west) at 1200ft at 40degrees. 12 seconds later the plane is 2080 ft from the station and has advanced 123degrees find His displacement His average Velocity Homework Equations Dx=dx1 + dx2 Dy=dy1 + dy2 The...
  44. C

    Turning an RC Aircraft into a Water Bomber: Ideas & Suggestions

    I was wondering how you could turn an RC aircraft out to a water bomber?? I thought of installing a container in the fuselage where water could be filled but can't think of how to get water out. Any suggestions on that or any other ideas of loading the water?
  45. G

    Solar Thermal Loading for an Aircraft Cabin

    I have been asked to estimate the thermal load (in Watts) of a small, commercial aircraft (ie, King Air B300, B350) sitting on a tarmac on a hot day due to solar irradiance. The solar irradiance specified is 1120 W/m^2, the total surface area of the fuselage is about 52.93 m^2, and the...
  46. S

    Cruise is the level portion of aircraft travel where flight

    Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruise_(flight ) then totally opposite statement What essentially is cruise speed
  47. I

    What is the Shallowest Aircraft Glide Angle?

    What is the shallowest angle of glide in aircraft?
  48. Q

    VHF Communications systems on aircraft

    Homework Statement Does anyone know why number 1 VHF communications system powered from 28Vdc Battery Bus or 28Vdc Essential Bus and not from another source such as 28Vdc Main Bus or similar power source. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I was struggling to find reasons as to why...
  49. H

    R/C Aircraft conversion from glow to electric/solar

    Hi Title says what I am trying to do. I have an R/C Aircraft that was designed for a .40 glow engine and I want to convert it to electric and power it from a battery, and then solar. I am having issues of where to go next with my project, I have done some calculations, but stuck more on...
  50. C

    Flying Wing Aircraft: Hand Launch Climb Necessity?

    Is a horizontal tail really necessary for climb on a flying wing if it was to be hand launched?
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