Chapter 1 Aircraft Structural Assembly & Rigging

What is the function of a vortex generator?

It is designed to delay or prevent separation of the boundary layer.

What are the three axes of an airplane?

Longitudinal, lateral, and vertical.

What are the three primary flight controls of an aircraft?

The ailerons, elevator, and rudder.

What are several secondary flight controls?

They include balance tabs, anti-servo and servo tabs, and spring tabs, assisting the pilot in moving the controls and trimming the aircraft.

What are several types of auxiliary flight controls?

They include leading and trailing edge flaps, slats, slots, and speed brakes, used during low-speed flight.

What is a servo trim tab?

It is an auxiliary control positioned by cockpit movement to assist in moving a control surface.

What is a spring tab?

It is designed to aid the movement of a primary control at high speeds when control forces become too high.

What is a balance trim tab?

It creates aerodynamic forces to assist in moving a control surface, positioned by a control rod connected to the fixed surface.

What are the four most common types of high lift devices?

Leading and trailing edge flaps, slats, and slots.

What tools are used to check control surface travel?

A universal propeller protractor or special control surface protractor.

What are three mechanical methods by which flight control systems may be actuated?

Cables, push-pull rods, and torque tubes.

What is a fairlead?

It is a device to prevent a cable from rubbing on the aircraft structure.

Where are the most likely places for a control cable to wear or break?

Where the cables pass over pulleys or through fairleads.

What information is required before a cable rigging chart can be used?

The ambient temperature and the cable size.

What is the function of a cable tension regulator?

It automatically adjusts the cable tension to compensate for expansion and contraction in the aircraft structure.

What is the function of a rotorcraft collective pitch control?

It changes each rotor blade's pitch angle by the same amount, increasing or decreasing the lift produced by the rotor.

What is the function of a rotorcraft cyclic pitch control?

It tilts the main rotor disc by changing the pitch angle of each rotor blade, causing the helicopter to move in the direction the rotor tilts.

What mechanism is most commonly used to compensate for the torque produced by the main rotor of a helicopter?

The tail (or anti-torque) rotor.

How is the amount of thrust produced by the tail rotor controlled?

By moving the foot pedals.

Why should control surfaces be locked when an aircraft is parked?

To prevent damage from the wind.