Weight, balance and performance of a small unmanned aircraft, and how loading changes how it flies. 3 free questions with answers and explanations.
Practice questions written from official FAA publications. They are not questions from the FAA knowledge test.
1.Loading & Performance
A remote pilot mounts a heavier camera, which brings the small unmanned aircraft above the manufacturer's recommended weight. Which performance change should the pilot expect?
AReduced rate and angle of climb and shorter range
BBetter stability and longer range because of the added mass
CNo change as long as the total weight stays below 55 pounds
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Reduced rate and angle of climb and shorter range
According to the Study Guide, excessive weight reduces flight performance in almost every respect, including a reduced rate and angle of climb, lower maximum altitude and shorter range.
A. Correct. The Study Guide lists reduced rate and angle of climb and shorter range among the performance deficiencies of an overloaded aircraft.
B. Incorrect. The Study Guide states excessive weight reduces flight performance in almost every respect, including shorter range.
C. Incorrect. Any weight beyond the manufacturer's limits reduces performance, regardless of the 55-pound part 107 limit.
Source
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Effects of Weight, p. 32
A small unmanned aircraft carries a jettisonable load that it will release partway through the flight. According to the FAA study guide, what should the remote PIC do about this planned weight change?
ANothing, because the CG is a fixed point marked on the aircraft
BNothing, because losing weight in flight can only improve performance and balance
CDetermine how the CG will shift and the resulting effects on the aircraft
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Determine how the CG will shift and the resulting effects on the aircraft
Releasing an expendable load changes the aircraft's weight in flight. Performance may improve, but the CG may shift and balance may suffer, so the remote PIC should determine how the CG will shift and what that does to the aircraft.
A. Incorrect. The CG is not a fixed point; its location depends on the distribution of the aircraft's weight.
B. Incorrect. A lighter aircraft performs better, but the weight change could have a negative effect on balance.
C. Correct. As variable load items are shifted or expended, the CG may shift, and the remote PIC should determine how it will shift and the effects.
Source
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Introduction
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Introduction
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Introduction
A fixed-wing small unmanned aircraft has a normal unaccelerated stalling speed of 30 knots. During a steep turn, the load factor reaches 4 Gs. At about what airspeed could the aircraft now stall?
A30 knots, because load factor does not change the stalling speed
B60 knots
C120 knots
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. 60 knots
Per the study guide, stalling speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor. Its example: a 50-knot stalling speed becomes 100 knots at 4 Gs. With a 30-knot stalling speed and a 4 G load factor, the aircraft can stall at about 30 × 2 = 60 knots.
A. Incorrect. The study guide states that an increased load factor increases the stalling speed and makes stalls possible at seemingly safe flight speeds.
B. Correct. Stalling speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor. The square root of 4 is 2, so 30 knots × 2 = 60 knots.
C. Incorrect. This multiplies the stalling speed by the full load factor. Stalling speed increases with the square root of the load factor, not the load factor itself.
Source
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Load Factors and Stalling Speeds, p. 31
FAA-G-8082-22 Remote Pilot – sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 4, Load Factors, p. 30
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