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. L

    Aircraft Wing Research: Comparing Types & Advantages/Disadvantages

    Do you guys know of any books with research on aircraft wings? I would like a book which contains comparisons between many types of wings, with their advantages/disadvantages weighed out against one another.
  2. Astronuc

    Hypersonic Aircraft Design Project

    Those in Aerospace Engineering might find this report useful in terms of walking through some of the design aspects of an aircraft. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19890009038_1989009038.pdf
  3. S

    Aircraft Accident 19 JUL 1989

    1989 (eighteen years ago) an aircraft droped down its fan disk. And After that it has difficulties for landing and crashed on the gruond and more than 100 people killed. The disk was not found several months. Indeed by simple physics rules it is very easy to find the location of this disk...
  4. E

    Speed aircraft carrier based on reflected pulse frequency

    Homework Statement Submarine is traveling at 12 m/s toward an aircraft carrier emits a 2400 Hz sonar pulse. The reflected pulse returns with a frequency 2310 Hz. What is the speed of the aircraft carrier? (Positive/negative means the carrier is moving toward/away from the submarine.) The...
  5. G

    What is the minimum force T necessary to lift the wheel?

    Hi I'm very new so I'm not sure if this is the best place to put this in. I've got a problem that I'm having trouble working out and any help would be great. 'A retracting nose wheel assembly is raised by the application of a torque T applied to link BC through a shaft at B. The wheel and arm...
  6. A

    Where Can i Get Basic aircraft Maintenance BOOK

    I am new here and i am so glad to be member here i am new graduates from aeronautical academy and hope to get work in any airline in the world (need fresh graduation):grumpy: but most of the airlines need experience over 5 Y :smile: pray for me to get work and i am looking for free book...
  7. M

    Does a Fly's Weight Affect a Light Aircraft?

    A man flies a small light aircraft straight and level. Inside the cockpit is a fly flying. Does the fly’s weight contribute to the aircraft’s weight at all?
  8. V

    Aircraft exhaust causes cirrus cloud formation

    In an edition of the New Scientist it says: "The streams of water vapour and ice particles that form behind an aircraft, called contrails, are known to create cirrus clouds. These clouds can trap heat radiating from the Earth's surface and thus add to global warming" How big an addition to...
  9. V

    Gas flowing quickly over the surface of an aircraft wing

    If part of the upper surface of a jet aircraft wing was replaced by a thin flat plastic sheet containing inert helium gas moving at 2-300 miles an hour (relative to the aircraft),in the direction of motion of the aircraft,the force on the upper wing surface would be reduced significantly and...
  10. R

    Calculate the speed of aircraft

    An aircraft flying at an altitude of 10 km finds that the sun is stationary in the sky. Calculate the speed of aircraft.
  11. S

    Calculating Mach Number of Aircraft at Sea Level

    Homework Statement What is the mach number if an aircraft traveling at sea level at 0 degrees with a speed of A)1140km/h b)900.0km/ the answers are 0.995 abd 0.753 in order. I Cant get those. Homework Equations mach number=speed of object/speed of sound The Attempt at a Solution...
  12. M

    Aircraft Design - Reynold's Number & Stalling Speed

    hello all, i was reading up on aircraft design one fine day when they talked about landing speed; they have to be higher than one critical speed, the stalling speed. if i remember correctly, is there another stalling speed, the upper limit? reynold's number increases at increasing speed of...
  13. R

    Investigating Midair Stalling of an Aircraft

    Hey guys, Even iam trying to find out the reason behind the midair stalling of an aircraft if it really exists. The truth is iam not able to get the correct and validated reason for the query. So i request you guys once more to take up this issue and answer this query which is really...
  14. B

    Unconventional Maneuvers of Fighter Jets: How Do They Defy Gravity?

    We learn from a very early class that the aerofoil design of the aircraft wings provide it with the required thrust to keep the plane afloat. It is the only upward acting force. And the reason cited for is that the design allows air to rush faster over the upper portion of the wings compared to...
  15. T

    Lifting Body Aircraft: Researching Materials, Physics & Future Uses

    Hello I am doing a class project on lifting body aircraft ( such as TB2!) and wondered if anybody on this forum had experience within the industry itself? I am researching specifically the materials used, the physics of keeping a lifting body in the air (burnelli's principle etc) and...
  16. P

    How do aircraft fly upside down?

    Can anybody tell me how aircraft fly up side down? I'm an under grad aero student and can't see how aircraft do. Can any aircraft theoretically fly up side down?:smile:
  17. Astronuc

    Is Japan Collaborating with NASA and Boeing to Develop a Supersonic Airliner?

    http://www.asminternational.org/Content/NavigationMenu/News/HeadlineNews/HeadlineNewsArticle.htm?SMContentIndex=6&SMContentSet=0 Associated Press May 8, 2006
  18. A

    Calculating Plane's Work and Force on Aircraft Carrier

    A plane weighing 220 kN (25 tons) lands on an aircraft carrier. The plane is moving horizontally at 63 m/s (141 mi/h) when its tailhook grabs hold of the arresting cables. The cables bring the plane to a stop in a distance of 89 m. (a) How much work is done on the plane by the arresting...
  19. I

    Help Problem involving a landing aircraft.

    I have 2 problems that are giving me trouble regarding the takeoff anf landing of an air craft. Here are the stats I have so far: Takeoff speed: 33.7m/s Takeoff angle:35 degrees Landing speed: 37.3m/s Maximum Abort speed:30.07m/s Engine Thrust: 1,500N Mass of Aircraft: 1060kg Braking...
  20. H

    Work on sliding bag on aircraft

    Can anyone help me with this problem? A flight attendant pulls her 70.0 N flight bag a distance of 258 m along a level airport floor at a constant speed. The force she exerts is 32.0 N at an angle of 52.0° above the horizontal. Find the work she does on the flight bag and the work done by the...
  21. O

    The missile and aircraft the saga goes on

    Well, I am sorry to bother you again, but it seems that after solving my last problem nobody enters that topic anymore :rolleyes: I hope I won't get on moderators nerves here... Well, anyway. As one may remember, I asked about this question: an aircraft flights at height H with a constant...
  22. O

    What is the total flight time of a missile to intercept an aircraft?

    For two weeks I can't solve this question with my friends. Please help us! an aircraft flights at height H with a constant velocity U. When it passes right above the missile, the missile is fired with a constant velocity V (V>U), but the vector of the velocity of the missile points directly...
  23. matthyaouw

    Parachutes in commercial aircraft.

    I've been told that commercial aircraft don't provide parachutes due to the fact that depressurising the aircraft suddenly to let everyone jump out would kill them. This doesn't add up... If the plane is at 40,000ft, then fair enough, you can't really blow the doors, but if the plane is in...
  24. Pengwuino

    The Kitty Hawk is still active in Japan.

    Does anyone know what kind of time it takes for an aircraft carrie to reach full speed if it starts from rest? Specifically a nuclear powered US carrier (nimitz maybe?). Someone said it takes 5 hours and I am just having a hard time believing it.
  25. Ivan Seeking

    The mentors at the Evergreen Aircraft Museum

    http://home.comcast.net/~rossgr1/EAM/mentors.JPG at the museum. I just hope that Greg notices that we were wearing our PF mentor uniforms. EDIT: Ivans post, but I split it out of the aircraft thread. Thought some others might like these pics.
  26. Integral

    For Aircraft nuts : Vampire pics added

    I made a trip to McMinnville Or. to the Evergreen Aircraft Museum. Thought I'd share some pics. Replicas of the Wright Flyer and the first Curtis plane. http://home.comcast.net/~rossgr1/EAM/EAM7.jpg The Spruce Goose. It is simply to big to get into a single image. (I need a wide angle...
  27. D

    Why do the propellers pull an aircraft, but push a ship?

    I think that the title of the topic is very self explanatory. I want to know what the explanation is for the different implementations, I reckon that it might have something to do with the density of air and water.
  28. Astronuc

    SR-71 Blackbird - Supersonic Aircraft

    For those interested in a remarkable aircraft - Lockheed's A-12, YF-12A, SR-71 Blackbird. http://www.sr-71.org http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/index.htm at sr-71.org http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/sr-71~1.htm http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/sr-71.htm...
  29. S

    Mysterious Russian Aircraft From Beyond 2000

    Years ago on the now defunct show Beyond 2000 there was a prototype aircraft being built in Russia that had no wings as such. Its shell had rectangle holes in it that I guess let air get in and flow over tiny internal wings or something. Anyone know what I'm talking about? It was big but not as...
  30. E

    Large Aircraft Take-Off: How Much Space is Needed?

    Does Larger aircraft need longer way (space) than smaller aircraft to take off?And why?
  31. S

    WW2 era German 88 mm anti aircraft gun

    What was so special about WW2 era German 88 mm anti aircraft gun later used to great effect as an anti tank gun?
  32. A

    Gyroscopes for direct stabilization of aircraft

    Is it possible to use big gyroscopes to directly control yaw, pitch and rotation of aircraft? Let's make the assumption that the system must be able to produce a specific moment (force couple) for an arbitrary length of time, without the power necessary to do so increasing. An example...
  33. Ivan Seeking

    What is the Volga Shipyard Orlyonok and why is there not more interest in it?

    http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=389
  34. Clausius2

    Aircraft System Help: What is the Branch of Above?

    See the attached figure. It is the admision system of an aircraft (I think it admits supersonic flight). The air enters by the left side. But I'm not sure what are these two branches. The branch of above is closed (it is a recirculation of fluid there) and the below one is opened, so the air...
  35. H

    How far does the catapult hurl the truck?

    heres the problem: steam-powered catapult used to launch aircraft could "throw a nissan pick-up five miles(8045meters)" catapult has the power to accelerate 30-ton aircraft from zero to 160mph(71.511m/s) in just 2.5 seconds nissan pick up truck weighs 3500 pounds and the flight deck is 57...
  36. A

    Create a small model of aircraft or helicopter 30-50 cm long

    Hello I want create a small model of aircraft or helicopter 30-50 cm long which can fly for 3-4 minutes just as a hobby how should i go about? Thanx
  37. O

    The gravitational force between the aircraft and Moon

    Here is a problem, please let me know whether my answer is right or wrong. Locate the position of a spaceship on the Earth-Moon center line such that the tug of each celestial body exerts on it would cancel and the craft would literally be weightless. I found two equations: A...
  38. P

    Estimate takeoff speed of aircraft

    Francesca, who likes physics experiments, dangles her watch from a thin piece of string while the jetliner she is in takes off from Dulles Airport. (see pic. attached) She notices that the string makes an angle of 20° with respect to the vertical while the aircraft accelerates for takeoff, which...
  39. check

    Remote controlled aircraft: Biplane efficiency

    I was wondering about the benefits of building a biplane for an aero-design contest. The rules state a particular wingspan limit, but there is no limit on number of wings. There is also a limit on the type of engine. The plane that’s able to lift the heaviest payload and still be controllable...
  40. T

    Could Submersible Aircraft Carriers Be the Future of Naval Warfare?

    I would say that combat surface ships not to mention aircraft carriers, are obsolete(sitting ducks) when it comes to "real" war for example with china or iran.During Falklands war exocet rockets wrecked havock among british ships. Would not be prudent then, to develop new class of...
  41. D

    Falling from an aircraft effects?

    Falling from an aircraft...effects? Deploying something from an aircraft or helo...what are the different forces that are going to act on that object, or rather, where would I find information about that. Say a relatively light box is dropped out of a moving helo, how would I go about figuring...
  42. K

    Forward Throw from Aircraft ?

    I am trying to calculate the perfect exit point from an aircraft for a skydiver (or anything else exiting a moving object in the sky). It has been some time with my physics, so I hope someone here can tell me the formula for calculating the forward throw of a simplified skydiver (a ball)...
  43. Ivan Seeking

    IT WORKS New [aircraft] parachute saves four lives

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040410/PLANE10/TPNational/Canada http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0211/22parachute/ The technology to apply this to commercial aircraft already exists though the Apollo program. Aviation will never be the same. Edit...
  44. C

    Magneto Hydrodynamic Propulsion for hypersonic aircraft?

    I watched a "Black Aircraft" show on the science channel. In the show they mentioned a researcher working on old Russian technology that placed a strong beam in front of the aircraft to strip electrons from the air molecules so the plasma creates its own initial shockwave to lessen drag on...
  45. M

    Anti-gravity High Schoolers demonstrate aircraft

    http://www.detnews.com/2002/schools/0212/03/c03-24756.htm Detroit News-Darren Jacobs "Dearborn High School students Ethan Rein, Jim Bergren and Luke Duncan are breaking the law -- of gravity. ___Rein, a senior, and juniors Bergren and Duncan, have built an anti-gravity aircraft that...
  46. M

    Strategies to detect stealth aircraft using passive radar technology.

    I am trying to gain an understanding of how Stealth technology defeats conventional radar, and wondering about strategies to get around it. In addition to explaining the basics of the Stealth technology, can someone explain why the planes are not simply detected by infrared sensitive devices...
  47. P

    Aircraft Speed with Wind: Calculating New Velocity

    A jet airliner moving initially at 795 mph to the east where there is no wind moves into a region where the wind is blowing at 140 mph in a direction 56 degrees north of east. What is the new speed of the aircraft with respect to the ground? Answer in units of mph. how can i start this off
  48. R

    Something just thought of about a possible Aircraft

    Can someone tell me what would happen if you made an oval light aluminum container, filled it with lighter than air compressed gas like helium, strapped a rocket to the end of it, and sent it flying. Let's say you add a rudder or tale to the end of it and then a gyroscope to the center of it...
  49. Andre

    Which law explains the best why an aircraft can fly?

    Just a little question again. Which law explains the best why an aircraft can fly? A The ideal gas law of Boyle Gay Lussac. B The secound law of Newton. c The basic law of aerodynamics of Bernouilli.
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