Apparent weight of a pilot in a loop

AI Thread Summary
In a discussion about the apparent weight of a pilot during a half vertical loop, a 54-kg pilot experiences apparent weights of 1680 N at Point A and 350 N at Point C. The problem involves determining the force exerted by the seat on the pilot at Point B, where the plane is vertical. Relevant equations include the relationship between tangential and normal forces, as well as the acceleration formulas for circular motion. The participant attempted to solve the problem by setting up force equations for each point in the loop, using apparent weights as normal reactions to find necessary velocities and accelerations. The challenge lies in accurately calculating the force at Point B based on the provided data.
adam199
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Here's a picture:

6fa96x.jpg


Edit: Here's a description of the problem in case the picture isn't clear. A 54-kg pilot flies a jet trainer in a half vertical loop of 1200-m radius so that the speed of the trainer
decreases at a constant rate. Knowing that the pilot’s apparent weights at Points A and C are 1680 N and 350 N, respectively, determine the force exerted on her by the seat of the trainer when the trainer
is at Point B.

The picture is of an airplane flying horizontally in the positive x, then doing a semicircular loop, so that it is flying in the negative x-direction at a height above the previous horizontal flight path. Point A is at the start of the loop, B is halfway through the loop when the plane is completely vertical, and C is right at the exit of the loop.

Relevant equations are:

a(tangential) is constant throughout the loop

F=ma and the use of normal forces and apparent weight to calculate force and acceleration

a(normal)=v^2/p (p is the radius of the loop and v is velocity)
Attempt at a solution:I wrote out a bunch of force equations for the three points of the loop:

pt A:

+->ƩF(tangential) = -R(A) = ma(tangential)
+^ƩF(normal) = -mg+N(A) = ma(normal at A)

pt B:

+^ƩF(tangential) = -R(B)-mg = ma(tangential)
+<-ƩF(normal) = N(B) = ma(normal at B)

pt C:

+<-ƩF(tangential) = -R(C) = ma(tangential)
(positive down)ƩF(normal) = mg+N(C) = ma(normal at C)

From here, I don't know how to get the force exerted by the seat on the pilot at B.
 
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I solved it by using the apparent weights as the normal reactions at each point and using that to find the velocities and accelerations needed to solve the problem.
 
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