FLIGHT/ENGINE AND MISC.
INSTRUMENTS
BASIC SIX INSTRUMENTS
i. Airspeed Indicator - Measures the speed of aircraft in KNOTS. The
measured speed is only AIRSPEED.
ii. Artificial Horizon - Provides pitch and roll information. It is a vertical
gyro .
iii. Altimeter - Measures aircraft altitude above sea level.
iv. Turn and Slip Indicator - Gives the pilot guide to make a safe turn in
the air. And also measures the rate of turning in degrees per minute.
v. Directional Indicator - Indicates and shows yaw and directional
changes (heading) of the aircr aft. It is a horizontal gyro.
vi. Rate of Climb - Measures aircraft rate of climb/descend in feet per
minute.
ESSENTIAL INSTRUMENT:
Artificial Horizon. Because it is the master instrument incase of emergency.
Q CODES
i. Query Field Elevation - It is an altimeter setting of atmospheric
pressure at aerodrome elevation or at runway threshold. Altimeter indicates
zero on take off and landing.
ii. Query Navigational Height - Altimeter will read runway elevation
when the aircraft is on the runway. It is a regional altimeter setting at
transition altitude.
iii. QNE - Is a pressure setting of 29.92 inch or 1013 mb that will
produce a standard atmosphere altitude and provides the basis for flight
level. It is an airways altimeter setting at transition level.
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONS OF VSI/ALT
i. VSI - Static pressure goes into the capsule and part of it passes
through an orifice into the casing of the instrument.
ii. ALT - Static pressure goes into the casing of the instrument only. The
capsule is sealed and evacuated.
ZERO TAP INSTRUMENT
VSI is called Zero tap instruments. Because it indicates zero whenever the
aircraft is at straight and level flight or on ground.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAD ALT AND PRESSURE ALT:
i. Radio Altimeter:
It is effective between 0 to 2500 ft.
It measures altitude above ground level.
It uses principle of electromagnetic waves.
ii. Pressure Altimeter:
It uses pressure differential.
It measures altitude above sea level.
It is effective up to 40,000ft.
GYROSCOPE AND ITS PROPERTIES
Gyroscope is a rotating mass, mounted in such a manner that the spin axis
of the mass is free to rotate about one or two axes at right angles to the
spin axis.
i. RIGIDITY - is the property of gyro which resists any force tending to
change the plane of rotation of the rotor. Also known as Gyro Inertia.
ii. PRECESSION - is the movement of the spin axis when a force is
applied to it. Angular change of spin plane of the rotor under influence of an
applied force.
GYROSCOPE WANDER
i. TOPPLE - This refers to the vertical movement of the spin axis away
from reference point.
ii. DRIFT - This refers to the horizontal movement of the spin axis away
from reference point.
METHOD OF SPINNING GYROSCOPE
i. Electric motor - 23,000rpm, 115VAC @ 400Hz, 3 - phase motor.
ii. Air/Vacuum - 15,000rpm, with pressure of 4 - 5 psi.
TURN AND SLIP INDICATOR
Turn and Slip indicator - This is two in one instrument; a TURN
INDICATOR and SLIP INDICATOR. The instrument gives and guides the
pilot to make a safe turn in the air. It consists of a ball contained in a curved
tube filled with a clear damping fluid.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SLIP AND SKID
i. SLIP - This is when the centripetal force prevails, the ball will roll
towards the direction of banking/turning.
ii. SKID - This is when the centrifugal force prevails, the ball rolls away
from the direction of banking/turning.
Forces acting on inclinometer ball:
i. Force of gravity.
ii. Centrifugal force.
iii. Centripetal force.
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND INDICATIONS
i. Mercury in steel capillary thermometer
ii. Bimetallic thermometer
iii. Electrical resistance thermometer (wheatstone bridge and ratiometer)
Iv. Thermo-couple
Bimetallic thermometer - Consist of two dissimilar metals; invar and
brass0, joined together to form a fairly long strip. The principle of operation
is based on the difference in coefficient of expansion. When the bimetallic
is heated, the strip will expand and bend towards the INVAR. And when
heat is removed, the strip will contrast and bend towards the BRASS.
Electrical resistance thermometer - This could be either: Ratiometer or
wheatstone bridge.
Ratiometer: This consists of two coils placed in a magnetic field. It
operates on the ratio of current in the two coils.
Wheatstone bridge: This consists of four resistors connected in a
bridge form. When the bridge is balanced, current does not flow. When the
bridge is unbalanced, current flows.
Thermo-couple - This consists of two dissimilar metals, joined at one end,
not joined at the other end. The unjoined end is connected to the
millivoltmeter (instrument).
Types of Engine Speed Indicator:
i. Direct reading engine speed indicator
ii. Tacho generator
iii. Pulse probe indicator or Tacho probe.
Engine parameters of Piston, Turbo-prob and Turbo-fan engines.
Piston Engine Turbo-prop Engine Turbo-fan Engine
Manifold Pressure Torque Engine Pressure Ratio
RPM RPM N1, N2
Fuel Flow Fuel Flow Fuel Flow
Oil Temperature/pressure Oil Temperature/pressure Oil Temperature/pressure
Cylinder Head Temperature Exhaust Gas Exhaust Gas
Temperature/Inter Turbine Temperature/Inter Turbine
Temperature Temperature
Fuel quantity Fuel quantity Fuel quantity
Critical engine parameters of an aircraft.
i. Temperature
ii. Pressure
iii. Speed
iv. Vibration
v. Fuel flow
vi. Torque