Test Pilot

GENERAL

1. The highest temperature ever recorded in the United States was 134 degrees F in Death Valley, California (1913). Estimate within 5 degrees the highest dew point ever recorded in the United States.
2. From reader Rob Edward: Prior to engine start, a pilot notices that the manifold pressure gauge (which indicates ambient atmospheric pressure when the engine is not running) appears to be in error. How can he quickly determine the accuracy of the MP gauge using other instrumentation in the cockpit?
3. Most pilots know about the Cessna 337 Skymaster, but what is a Cessna 336?
4. What was the name and date of publication of the first aviation magazine in the United States?
5. For instrument-rated pilots: Name the five Ts and the sequence in which they typically should occur when passing the final approach fix during a nonprecision instrument approach.
6. From reader Dave Shaw: What and when was the first use of the variable-pitch propeller?
7. From reader Mark Barchenko: What World War II airplane was referred to as a "prostitute" by those who flew it, and why?
8. From reader Hal Fishman: The national German airline Lufthansa used to conduct "double refueling" operations. What was "double refueling"?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

9. Each 770-pound-thrust Williams EJ22 turbofan engine for the forthcoming Eclipse 500 twinjet has a dry weight of
   1. 85 pounds.
   2. 185 pounds.
   3. 285 pounds.
   4. 385 pounds.
10. "Flying the hump" has come to mean flying across a significant mountain range. The expression originally became popularized by those who flew across the
    1. Andes.
    2. Appalachian Mountains.
    3. Himalayas.
    4. Rocky Mountains.
11. Which of the following does not belong?
    1. He had a daughter named Winnie Mae.
    2. He was first to fly solo around the world.
    3. He lost the use of his left eye in an accident.
    4. He designed the prototype of spacesuits used by astronauts.
    5. He apparently was first to experience the jet stream.

TRUE OR FALSE

12. No airplane has yet to fly with a maximum-allowable gross weight in excess of 1 million pounds.
13. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is the most visited museum of any kind in the world.
14. From reader William "Bill" Dubin: Charles Lindbergh contemplated filling the wings of the Spirit of St. Louis with ping-pong balls to enhance flotation in case of an oceanic ditching. Others subsequently thought about it, too, but apparently no one ever took advantage of the idea.

TEST PILOT ANSWERS

1. 90 degrees F in Appleton, Wisconsin (July 13, 1995); Melbourne, Florida (July 12, 1987); and New Orleans Naval Air Station (July 30, 1987).
2. Adjust the altimeter so that the indicated altitude is zero. The altimeter setting then shown in the Kollsman window will be the ambient atmospheric pressure.
3. The Cessna 337 Super Skymaster has retractable landing gear, but the Cessna 336 Skymaster has fixed gear. Only 195 of the stiff-legged versions were built.
4. Fly, "a popular aeronautic magazine for men, women, and children," was first published in Philadelphia in November 1908 and sold for 10 cents per copy. A subscription cost $1 per year.
5. Time (at the final approach fix), Turn (to the appropriate heading), Tuck or Throttle (to begin descent), Twist (the course selector), and lastly, Talk (as required).
6. An early submarine torpedo (circa 1890) incorporated one to maintain a constant water speed (which made targeting more accurate) as its flywheel-type propulsion system wound down.
7. The Martin B-26 Marauder, a medium bomber, had such small wings for its size that it was said to have "no visible means of support."
8. When flying Dornier seaplanes between Africa and Brazil in the mid-1930s, pilots landed next to ships positioned in the South Atlantic to pick up fuel for the engines and brandy for themselves (double refueling).
9. (a) By comparison, the dry weight of an Avco Lycoming IO-540-K1B5, six-cylinder, 300-hp, normally aspirated engine is 471 pounds.
10. (a) The expression was first used during the early 1930s by those who flew the mail across the Andes between Mendoza, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile.
11. (a) Winnie Mae was the daughter of Wiley Post's employer, F.C. Hall, as well as the name of the Lockheed Vega used by Post to fly around the world. Post's "spacesuit" was pressurized by his airplane's supercharger.
12. False. The Antonov An-225, built by the Soviet Union to carry the Russian space shuttle, has a maximum-allowable takeoff weight of 1,322,750 pounds.
13. True. The museum receives more than 9 million visitors per year. Runner-up is the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
14. False. Entertainer Harry Richman and Eastern Airlines' chief pilot Henry "Dick" Merrill made the first round-trip flight from New York to London in September 1936 in a Vultee V1-A dubbed Lady Peace. Spaces in wings and fuselage were filled with 41,000 ping-pong balls.

Visit the author's Web site ( www.barryschiff.com).