Aircraft Flight Test Engineer
In Module 3, you will discover how various loads and stresses (e.g., torsion, compression, and bending) affect internal material strain. You will also learn about riveted joints and pressure vessels and how they may affect mechanical and structural factors in aviation safety.
Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe terms related to mechanical and structural factors in stress loading (tension, compression, bending, and torsion), riveted joints, and pressure vessels and their importance to aviation safety.
- Discuss failure modes related to an over-stressing in tension, compression, torsion, bending, etc.
Assignment: (basically explaining to an intern the V-n or V-g diagram)
The purpose of this scenario-based activity is to provide a simulated ‘real-world’ example for you to demonstrate a particular action. This ‘stretches’ your thinking by allowing you to go beyond the readings and answering direct questions posed; rather, you ‘become’ an aviation professional solving real-life problems.
Remember the ‘flight envelope’ from Module 2? Well, now assume you are an Aircraft Flight Test Engineer at an aircraft manufacturer that makes Transport Category airplanes in the United States. This manufacturer has offered you the task to mentor an intern, participating in a cooperative arrangement with a local university, on important features of a flight envelope diagram (also known as a V-n or V-g diagram) and why these diagrams are vital for flight test pilots and future pilots for this new aircraft. You realize, because of the intern’s lack of experience, the first hurdle to overcome is to brief them on the significance of such a diagram and the warning of ‘danger areas’ provided in it. There are areas of the diagram that indicate regions of stalls and accelerated stalls and regions where possible structural damage may occur. You need to discuss aspects of these operational limitations and potential implications if the aircraft exceeds any of these flight parameters.
You have been tasked to brief this new intern on the operational flight limitations contained within the flight envelope diagram, so you start with a simple, generic V-n (V-g) diagram regulatory to introduce the topic to the intern. Choose your method of communicating this information; it can be either a short essay, a presentation, or a video. It may prove valuable to include a sample diagram with arrows or callouts to label the axes, regions, etc. Feel free to include your drawing/diagram as an attached photo or scanned image. Keep in mind that merely providing a diagram alone is insufficient; you must explain what each item/aspect could mean for a potential pilot.
Reference material:
In Aircraft Materials and Analysis/Hunt Library – McGraw Hill, (Links to an external site.) read:
- Chapter 5: Torsion, Compression, and Bending Loads
- Chapter 6: Aircraft Structure Riveted Joints and Pressure Vessels
