Lesson 1.2 Airplane Wings

1. Spoilers are fitted to many modern turbojets and other high performance aircraft.
a. These aircraft are very clean aerodynamically and land at very high speeds.
b. Spoilers fitted to the top of the wing can be deployed automatically or at the command of the PIC to disrupt airflow and destroy lift.
1. When deployed just after landing, spoilers allow the brakes to be more effective.
2. Ground spoilers used just after landing are more effective at high speed.
2. Rectangular wings generally are designed so that the wing root stalls first, with the stall progression toward the wingtip.
3. A change in the angle of attack of the wing changes the lift, drag, and airspeed.
4. The angle of attack of a wing directly controls the distribution of positive and negative pressure acting on the wing.
5. Frost on the upper surface of airplane wings disrupts the smooth flow of air over the top of the wing (which increases drag) and causes the airplane to stall at higher airspeeds and lower angles of attack than normal.