Test Pilot

1. From reader Jeffrey Horton: Pilots know that a multiengine airplane will yaw in the direction of its failed engine (except for twins with centerline thrust). In what multiengine aircraft will the failure of either engine always result in a yaw in the same direction?
   
   
2. From reader Richard Norris: Clocked at more than 200 mph, the peregrine falcon probably is the world’s fastest bird. How does it breathe at such speed and ram air pressure without damaging its lungs?
   
   
3. Why did some pilots refer to their Douglas C-47 Skytrains and Cessna O-2 Skymasters as “Bullsh*t Bombers”?
   
   
4. From reader Brett Stephens: What Air Force-mandated, million-dollar expense involving development of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird incensed its designer, Kelly Johnson of Skunk Works fame?
   
   
5. From reader John Schmidt: NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command—and its predecessor, CONAD, the Continental Air Defense Command—have tracked Santa’s Christmas Eve flights ever since 1955. How did this tradition begin?
   
   
6. From reader Walt Davie: The pilot of a piston-powered airplane detects strong kerosene fumes during flight. What is the most likely cause?
   
   
7. From reader John Dunne: What was the world’s most-powerful, mass-produced piston engine?
   
   
8. From reader Jerry Weiland: What was the first American combat airplane to have tricycle landing gear?
   
   Multiple Choice
   
   
9. The highest barometric pressure ever recorded in the atmosphere was
   
   a. 31.35 inches of mercury. | b. 31.65 inches of mercury. | c. 31.95 inches of mercury. | d. 32.25 inches of mercury.
   
   
10. For instrument-rated pilots: A pilot is about to make an ILS, VOR, or localizer approach. The air traffic controller tells him to “maintain 4,000 until established on the final approach course.” A pilot is “established” when turning onto final approach and the course-deviation indicator (CDI)
    
    a. is within one-fourth of maximum deflection. | b. is within one-half of maximum deflection. | c. is within three-fourths of maximum deflection. | d. has begun to move from its fully deflected position.
    
    
11. An ace is a pilot who has shot down at least five enemy aircraft. The highest scoring fighter ace of all time is Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann, credited with _____ aerial victories during World War II.
    
    a. 52 | b. 152 | c. 252 | d. 352
    
    True of False
12. From reader Brian Schiff: When pushing forward on the right rudder pedal of a Beech 18 (the venerable Twin Beech), only the right rudder moves; when depressing the left rudder pedal only the left rudder moves.
    
    
13. From reader Paul Reinman: The Greek letter, alpha, is used to represent the angle of attack of the wing, and beta represents the angle of attack of the horizontal stabilizer.
    
    
14. From reader George Shanks: The automobile-style doors used on Bell P-39 Airacobras were made by the Hudson Motor Car Company and even had roll-up and roll-down windows.

Answers

1. If a single-rotor, multiengine helicopter (such as a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk) experiences failure of either engine, there will be a sudden reduction in rotor torque. Because the anti-torque pedals (“rudder” pedals) would be set to counter a high-torque condition (left pedal in U.S.-built helicopters) at the time of failure, a reduction in torque would cause the helicopter to yaw left, the direction of the applied pedal.
   
   
2. There is a small protruding cone in the openings of the peregrine’s nostrils that is similar in design and function to the inlet cone of a jet engine. These cones, called tubercles, reduce air pressure entering the nostrils.
   
   
3. These aircraft were used in Vietnam to drop propaganda leaflets.
   
   
4. The development of paints that could withstand the intense heat of the aircraft’s surface during flight at Mach 3.0 so that a U.S. flag could be displayed on each vertical fin.
   
   
5. A Sears, Roebuck store in Colorado Springs advertised a phone number for children to talk to Santa. The misprinted number instead belonged to a CONAD hotline. The CONAD commander had his staff obtain radar fixes of Santa flying south from the Pole, and children who called were given updates. A tradition was born. The tracker is online.
   
   
6. The conventional (wet) compass is leaking. Try to wrap something around the compass that can absorb the leakage, and do not allow smoking.
   
   
7. The four-bank, 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine was used almost exclusively by the military. One iteration, the R-4360-51VDT, developed 4,300 hp.
   
   
8. The Douglas A-20 Havoc, a twin-engine attack bomber, first flew on October 26, 1938.
   
   
9. (d) This was recorded at Tonsontsengel, Mongolia, on December 29, 2004.
   
   
10. (b) This is an ICAO (international) definition with which the FAA concurs. To a controller, “established” means that the aircraft is “stable or fixed” on a route or approach segment.
    
    
11. (d) Of his 352 victories, 345 were won against the Soviet Air Force, and 260 were fighter aircraft. Hartmann was known as the Blond Knight.
    
    
12. False. The rudders move in unison. On an Ercoupe, however, it is almost as asked. The rudders are operated with the control wheel and deflect up to 20 degrees outboard but only 3 degrees inboard. (Unmodified Ercoupes do not have rudder pedals.)
    
    
13. False. Beta is used to represent sideslip (or skid) angle.
    
    
14. True. There was one door on each side of the cockpit. Escape from the aircraft was difficult, though, because the cockpit roof was fixed.

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