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Quiz: Do You Know How These 6 Aircraft Systems Work?

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Let's see what you know!


  1. 1) You're in level cruise flight when you hit a bug, which clogs your pitot tube. You start returning to the airport. As you descend, what will happen to your VSI?

    Your VSI doesn't use pitot ram air, so as long as your static ports are open, it will work normally.

    Your VSI doesn't use pitot ram air, so as long as your static ports are open, it will work normally.

  2. 2) How do your engine's magnetos power the spark plugs?

    Each magneto powers 1 of 2 spark plugs in each cylinder. That way, if a magneto fails, the cylinder will continue to fire.

    Each magneto powers 1 of 2 spark plugs in each cylinder. That way, if a magneto fails, the cylinder will continue to fire.

  3. 3) You're flying a Piper Arrow, you lose your engine oil in a catastrophic failure, and all oil pressure is lost. Assuming the engine keeps running, what will happen to your constant speed propeller?

    Eventually, the oil will drain from your prop hub, and the spring on the back side of the hub, as well as aerodynamic twist of the prop blades, will cause your prop to go to low pitch/high RPM.

    Eventually, the oil will drain from your prop hub, and the spring on the back side of the hub, as well as aerodynamic twist of the prop blades, will cause your prop to go to low pitch/high RPM.

  4. 4) Your Cessna 172S is currently 2520 pounds with passengers and fuel. Its max gross takeoff weight is 2550 pounds. You ask the fuel truck to add 5 gallons of 100LL per wing tank before takeoff, so you have a little more reserve. Are you over max gross takeoff weight?

    Avgas weighs 6 pounds per gallon. Adding 5 gallons per wing tank means you take on 10 gallons total, and your weight increases 60 pounds, to 2580, which is over max gross takeoff weight of 2550 pounds.

    Avgas weighs 6 pounds per gallon. Adding 5 gallons per wing tank means you take on 10 gallons total, and your weight increases 60 pounds, to 2580, which is over max gross takeoff weight of 2550 pounds.

  5. 5) Differential ailerons are designed to:

    Differential ailerons reduce adverse yaw, and they do it by the up aileron traveling farther than the down aileron.

    Differential ailerons reduce adverse yaw, and they do it by the up aileron traveling farther than the down aileron.

  6. 6) What flows through this tube?
    flightlog

    This is the exhaust manifold, and exhaust gas passes through it and exits through the muffler.

    This is the exhaust manifold, and exhaust gas passes through it and exits through the muffler.

Well, you have room for improvement...

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Not bad, you have most of these systems down...

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Nailed it!

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