Results
Q1. Identify which of the following is the correct formula for Mach number:
Ans: – TAS / a = constant
Q2. What is the result of a shock-induced separation of airflow occurring symmetrically near the wing root of a sweptwing aircraft?
Ans: – A severe nose-down pitching moment or “tuck under”.
Q3. Mach number is:
Ans: – the ratio of the aircraft’s TAS to the speed of sound at the same atmospheric conditions.
Q4. For an aircraft climbing at a constant IAS the Mach number will:
Ans: – increase.
Q5. The term ‘transonic speed’ for an aircraft means:
Ans: – speeds where the airflow is partly subsonic and partly supersonic.
Q6. At M 0.8 a wing has supersonic flow between 20% chord and 60% chord. There will be a shock wave:
Ans: – at 60% chord only.
Q7. As air flows through a shock wave:
Ans: – static pressure increases, density increases, temperature increases.
Q8. For a wing section of given thickness, the critical Mach number:
Ans: – will decrease if angle of attack is increased.
Q9. At speeds above the critical Mach number, the lift coefficient:
Ans: – will start to decrease.
Q10. As air flows through a shock wave:
Ans: – its speed decreases.
Q11. If an aeroplane accelerates above the critical Mach number, the first high Mach number characteristic it will usually experience is:
Ans: – a nose-down pitching moment (Mach, or high speed tuck).
Q12. High speed buffet is caused by:
Ans: – the airflow being detached by the shock wave and the turbulent flow striking the tail.
Q13. The “area rule” applied to high speed aircraft requires:
Ans: – that the variation of cross-sectional area along the length of the aircraft follows a smooth pattern.
Q14. An all moving tailplane is used in preference to elevators on high speed aircraft:
Ans: – because shock wave formation ahead of the elevator causes separation and loss of elevator effectiveness.
Q15. Mach Trim is a device which:
Ans: – automatically compensates for pitch changes while flying in the transonic speed region.
Q16. What is the movement of the centre of pressure when the wing tips of a sweptwing aeroplane are shock-stalled first?
Ans: – Inward and forward.
Q17. The airflow behind a normal shock wave will:
Ans: – always be subsonic and in the same direction as the original airflow.
Q18. As airflow passes through a normal shock wave, which of the following changes in static pressure (i), density (ii), and Mach number (iii) will occur?
Ans: – (i) increase (ii) increase (iii) < 1.0
Q19. An aerofoil travelling at supersonic speed will:
Ans: – have its centre of pressure at 50 % chord.
Q20. A bow wave is:
Ans: – a shock wave that forms immediately ahead of an aircraft which is travelling faster than the speed of sound.
Q21. When an aircraft is flying at supersonic speed, where will the area of influence of any pressure disturbance due to the presence of the aircraft be located?
Ans: – Within the Mach Cone.
Q22. The temperature of the airflow as it passes through an expansion wave:
Ans: – decreases.
Q23. The influence of weight (wing loading) on the formation of shock waves is:
Ans: – low wing loading will give a higher Mcrit†.
Q24. What influence does an oblique shock wave have on the streamline pattern (i), variation of pressure (ii), temperature(iii), density (iv) and velocity (v)?
Ans: – (i) parallel to surface (ii) increase (iii) increase (iv) increase (v) decrease
Q25. Wave drag is caused by:
Ans: – the conversion of mechanical energy into thermal energy by the shock wave.
Q26. What is the effect of a shock wave on control surface efficiency?
Ans: – Loss of efficiency, due to control deflection no longer modifying the total flow over the wing.
Q27. At what speed does an oblique shock wave move over the earth surface?
Ans: – Aircraft ground speed.

