Aircraft & Engines

Fuselage types and stress, wings (types, structural components), stabilising surfaces (vertical, horizontal, V-tail, flutter, mach trim). Primary controls: elevator, aileron, rudder, trim, actuation modes (mechanical/hydraulic/electrical/fly-by-wire). Secondary controls: leading/trailing edge devices, lift dumpers, speed brakes, variable elevator.

Landing gear types, locking devices, emergency extension, accidental retraction prevention, position/movement lights, nose wheel steering, wheels/tyres, braking systems (parking brake, anti-skid, autobrake). Hydraulic principles, fluids, schematic construction, main/standby/emergency systems, operation, indicators, warnings, ancillary systems.

Pneumatic power sources, construction, failures, pneumatic-operated systems. Air conditioning: construction, heating/cooling, temperature regulation, ram air ventilation. Pressurisation: cabin altitude, maximum differential pressure, pressurised zones, safety devices, rapid decompression, emergency procedures.

Anti-ice: aerofoil/control surfaces, power plant, air intakes, windshield, operating limitations, de-icing timing, ice warning. Non-pneumatic de-ice: air intake, propeller, pitot/static, stall warning, windshield, rain repellent. Fuel system: tank types/location, re-fuelling sequence, unusable fuel, gravity/pressure feed, crossfeed, fuel management, dipstick.

DC: electric circuits, Ohm's law, capacitor, batteries (types/capacity/hazards), magnetism, electromagnetic induction, generators, alternators, regulation, starter generator, DC buses, ammeter/voltmeter, inverter. AC: single/multi-phase, frequency, phase shift, 3-phase generator, brushless generator, constant speed drive, integrated drive, AC distribution, protection, transformers, TRUs. Basic logic circuits.

Design types, 4-stroke internal combustion cycle, mechanical components, lubrication system, air cooling (cylinder head temperature, cowl flaps), ignition (magneto types, magneto check), engine fuel supply (carburetor icing, fuel injection, alternate air), engine performance (density altitude), turbocharger/supercharger, fuel types/grades/octane/colour coding, mixture (rich/lean, power/economy settings).

Fixed pitch and constant speed propellers, principles and operation on single/multi-engine aircraft, propeller check, efficiency as function of airspeed, ground/air limitations. Torque reaction, gyroscopic precession, asymmetric slipstream effect, asymmetric blade effect, engine failure (windmilling drag, feathering), design features (blade aspect ratio, diameter, blade count, noise).

Principles of operation, types (turboprop, turbojet, turbofan). Construction: air inlet, compressor (stall/surge), diffuser, combustion chamber (types, fuel injectors, thermal load), turbine (thermal/mechanical stress), jet pipe (types, noise silencing). Pressure/temperature/airflow, reverse thrust, bleed air effects, auxiliary gearbox. Engine systems: ignition, starter (malfunctions), fuel, lubrication. Thrust formula, flat rating, APU, RAT.

Doors and emergency exits, evacuation slides. Smoke detection (location, function test). Fire detection (warning modes, function test). Fire fighting equipment (contents, gauge). Aircraft oxygen equipment (rapid decompression drill, oxygen generators). Portable fire extinguisher, smoke protection hood, portable oxygen, ELT, life jacket, life raft, emergency lighting, megaphone, crash axe.

Newton's laws, Bernoulli's theorem, continuity equation, IAS/CAS/EAS/TAS. Aerofoil shape (camber, chord, thickness, nose radius, angle of attack, angle of incidence). 2D and 3D airflow, lift/drag coefficients, CL-α graph, CLmax, CD, profile polar. Tip vortices, induced drag, ground effect. Stall (boundary layer, flow separation, stall speed, wing planform, high-lift devices, stall warning, spin recovery).

Mach number, speed of sound, compressibility. Normal shock waves, Mcrit, influence of Mach/control deflection/angle of attack/aerofoil thickness/sweep/area ruling. Shock stall, Mach buffet, aerodynamic heating. Mach trim, buffet margin, aerodynamic ceiling. Supercritical aerofoil, vortex generators.

Longitudinal stability: static/dynamic, neutral point, CG limits, CM-α graph, elevator-speed graph, stick force per g, phugoid, short period, bob weight, down spring, Mach trim. Directional stability: CN-β graph, dorsal fin, strakes. Lateral stability: CL-β graph, dihedral/anhedral, wing location. Dynamic lateral: Dutch roll, yaw damper, spiral dive, effects of altitude.

Control: pitch (elevator, down-wash, ice on tail), yaw (VMCA/VMCG, engine failure), roll (ailerons, spoilers, adverse yaw, frise ailerons). Aerodynamic & artificial balance, mass balance, trimming. Limitations: flutter, aileron reversal, VMO/VNE/MMO. Manoeuvring envelope (VA/VC/VD, load factor, mass/altitude/Mach contribution). Gust envelope, VB/VRA. Flight mechanics: forces in flight, asymmetric thrust, VMCA/VMCL/VMCG, emergency descent, windshear.