Test Pilot

GENERAL

1. Just as the North American P-51 is called a Mustang, other military airplanes also have names. What are the names of these U.S. bombers?
   1. Rockwell International B-1
   2. Northrup Grumman B-2
   3. Boeing B-17
   4. Consolidated B-24
   5. North American B-25
   6. Martin B-26
   7. Boeing B-29
   8. Convair B-36
   9. Boeing B-47
   10. Boeing B-50
   11. Boeing B-52
   12. Convair B-58
   13. North American XB-70
2. What is a good reason for taxiing aircraft such as the Cessna 336/337 Skymaster with the front engine shut down or idling?
3. From reader Chip Fleming: A pilot monitoring the VHF emergency frequency of 121.5 MHz hears a continually repeating Morse code letter P (dit-dah-dah-dit). What is the significance of this?
4. Why is the name Debonair so appropriate for the Beechcraft Model 33?
5. What is an elevator trim stall?
6. NASA's fleet of six space shuttle orbiters was named after pioneering sea vessels that established new frontiers in research and exploration. Can you name them?
7. From reader April Holladay: A pilot must be almost 100,000 feet high to see the curvature of the Earth. How high must he be to see the entire circular shape of the Earth?
8. Name and describe the three phases of a spin.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

9. The first flight simulator was developed and used in
   1. 1911.
   2. 1921.
   3. 1931.
   4. 1941.
10. Which one of the following does not belong?
    1. Airplane tends to sink.
    2. Pitch attitude increases.
    3. Indicated airspeed decreases.
    4. Groundspeed increases.
11. From reader Jeff Pardo: The first aerial combat between two aircraft took place
    1. between British and German dirigibles over France in 1912.
    2. between two Americans over Mexico in 1913.
    3. between French and German observation planes in 1914.
    4. when Jean Navarre, a Frenchman, downed a German fighter with his rifle in 1915.

TRUE OR FALSE

12. A propeller that has been stopped creates more drag during a glide than a windmilling propeller.
13. Controlled firing areas are not shown on U.S. aeronautical charts and, therefore, do not have to be avoided.
14. The beautifully curved (cambered) fuselage of the Lockheed Constellation was shaped like an airfoil to produce lift.

ANSWERS

1. a) Lancer, b) Spirit, c) Flying Fortress, d) Liberator, e) Mitchell, f) Marauder, g) Superfortress, h) Peacemaker, i) Stratojet, j) Superfortress, k) Stratofortress, l) Hustler, m) Valkyrie.
2. This prevents the front propeller from throwing debris into and damaging the rear propeller.
3. The letter P is a low-power homing signal transmitted by a 406-MHz personal locator beacon to assist searchers with VHF direction finders.
4. The Debonair is an offspring of the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza and is French, de bon aire, for of good family or nature. Literally, it means to be of good air, a term used to describe excellent hunting hawks in medieval times.
5. It is a stall that can occur during a go-around as a result of not overriding and/or reducing the substantial nose-up trim that had been applied during the preceding approach.
6. In addition to the ill-fated Challenger and Columbia, the operational fleet now consists of Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour. The first orbiter, Enterprise, was a test vehicle that would have been called Constitution were it not for an effective write-in campaign by Star Trek fans.
7. Approximately 12,000 miles, according to a NASA photogrammetrist. This view, of course, would be less than a hemisphere. To see an entire hemisphere, you would have to be infinitely far away.
8. Incipient (from beginning of rotation until airspeed, vertical speed, and rotation rate stabilize); fully developed (variables remain stabilized); and recovery (self-explanatory).
9. (a) It consisted of a teetering airplane mounted on a sawhorse at the Wright factory in Dayton and was used by a number of flight students, including Lt. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.
10. (b) Pitch attitude decreases when encountering a headwind-to-tailwind (or decreasing-headwind or increasing-tailwind) type of wind shear.
11. (b) During November 1913, Phil Rader, who flew for Gen. Victoriano Huerta, and Dean Ivan Lamb, who flew for Venustiano Carranza, exchanged numerous pistol shots over Naco, Mexico, during the Mexican Revolution. Neither pilot was wounded nor was either airplane damaged.
12. False. A stopped propeller improves glide performance and creates less drag compared to one that is windmilling.
13. True. If radar, a spotter aircraft, or lookout personnel on the ground determines that an aircraft is approaching the area, ground firing is immediately discontinued.
14. False. The fuselage has such a low aspect ratio (ratio of width to length) that the resulting induced drag would exceed the lift developed by the fuselage.

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