Aircraft Maintenance Engineer General Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering electrical principles, blueprints, weight and balance, materials, corrosion, and aviation regulations based on the Engineer General Exam bank.

Zero Voltage Point

The point in an electrical circuit diagram considered to be the ground reference.

Potentiometer

A type of variable resistor used in electrical circuits, identified as component number 5 in specific diagrams.

P-N-P Transistor Activation

A condition where the solid state device is turned on when the base is negative with respect to the emitter.

Forward Biasing

The application of voltage to a solid state device that causes the device to conduct.

Zener Diodes

Solid state devices typically used in applications as voltage regulators.

N-P-N Transistor Activation

A condition where the solid state device is turned on when the base is positive with respect to the emitter.

Capacitor Working Voltage

In an ac circuit, this value should be at least $50 \text{ percent}$ greater than the highest applied voltage.

Effective Values

The assumed values for current or voltage in an ac circuit unless otherwise specified.

Capacitance Storage Factors

The amount of electricity a capacitor can store is directly proportional to the plate area and inversely proportional to the distance between the plates.

Total Series Capacitance

When different rated capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance is less than the capacitance of the lowest rated capacitor.

Inductive Reactance

The opposition offered by a coil to the flow of alternating current (disregarding resistance); it increases with an increase in inductance and frequency.

Impedance

The term that describes the combined resistive forces (resistance and reactance) in an ac circuit.

Thermal Switch

A component in an electric motor designed to open the circuit in order to allow cooling of the motor.

Mutual Inductance

The basis for transformer operation in the use of alternating current.

Induction

The transfer of electrical energy from one conductor to another without the aid of electrical connections.

Milliampere

A unit of electrical current equal to $0.001 \text{ ampere}$.

Watt

The unit used to express electrical power, where $1 \text{ horsepower} = 746 \text{ watts}$.

Diodes

Components used in electrical power supply circuits primarily as rectifiers.

Tolerance

The difference between extreme permissible dimensions that a part may have and still be acceptable.

Zone Numbers

Numbers on aircraft blueprints used to locate parts, sections, and views on large drawings.

Schematic Diagrams

Drawings used to show the functional location of components within a system and best suited for troubleshooting malfunctions.

Exploded View Drawings

The types of drawings often used in illustrated parts manuals.

Installation Drawing

A drawing in which the subassemblies or parts are shown as brought together on the aircraft.

Station Number

A specific measured distance from the datum or some other point identified by the manufacturer to a point in or on the aircraft.

Hidden Line

A line used in blueprints to show an edge which is not visible.

Orthographic Projection

A drawing method where one view, two view, and three view drawings are the most common.

Maximum Weight

In weight and balance, the maximum authorized weight of the aircraft and its contents.

Zero Fuel Weight

The maximum permissible weight of a loaded aircraft including passengers, crew, and cargo, but without fuel.

Lever Arm

The name of the distance from the fulcrum to an object in the theory of weight and balance.

Useful Load

The difference between the maximum takeoff weight and basic empty weight, consisting of crew, usable fuel, passengers, and cargo.

Bernoulli s Principle

The principle stating that the pressure of a fluid decreases at points where the velocity of the fluid increases.

PHDAN

A marking used on gas or fluid lines to indicate they carry a hazardous substance.

Cold Flow

A term associated with impressions left in natural or synthetic rubber hose material.

Eddy Current Inspection

A non-destructive testing method requiring little part preparation, used to detect surface or near-surface defects and to separate metals/alloys.

Continuous Magnetization

The method of magnetic particle inspection used most often to inspect aircraft parts for invisible cracks.

Normalizing

A heat treating process for iron-base metals used to relieve internal stresses developed within the base metal.

Case Hardening

A heat treating operation that produces a hard, wear-resistant surface over a strong, tough core by chemically changing the surface.

Alclad

A metal consisting of pure aluminium surface layers on an aluminium alloy core, such as Alclad 2024-T4.

Intergranular Corrosion

A type of corrosion that attacks the grain boundaries of aluminium alloys, primarily caused by improper heat treatment.

Fretting Corrosion

Corrosion most likely to occur when two surfaces fit tightly together but can move relative to one another.

Exfoliation

The lifting or flaking of metal at the surface due to delamination of grain boundaries caused by the pressure of corrosion residual product buildup.

Alodizing

A nonelectrolytic chemical treatment for aluminum alloys to increase corrosion resistance and paint bonding qualities.

Absolute Humidity

The actual amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water.

Dewpoint

The temperature to which humid air must be cooled at constant pressure to become saturated.

Aspect Ratio

Defined as the ratio of the wingspan to the mean chord.

Dihedral

The upward angle of an aircraft's wings intended to increase lateral stability.

Airworthiness Directives

Mandatory notices issued primarily to correct unsafe conditions in aircraft products.

ATA Specification No. 100

A standard that establishes the presentation of technical data in maintenance manuals by dividing the aircraft into numbered systems and subsystems.

Type Certificate Data Sheets

Documents issued for aircraft, engines, and propellers that contain information such as the location of the datum and control surface movements.

Major Repair

The restoration of the airframe to a condition for safe operation after damage or deterioration, which might appreciably affect structural strength or performance.