Stalling Stalling It is vital for a pilot

Stalling

Stalling • It is vital for a pilot to understand stalling thoroughly, if he is to fly an aircraft confidently.

The Stall • In normal flight a • wing meets the oncoming air at a small angle of attack, the air flowing smoothly and continuously over and under the wing. If a pilot increases the angle of attack slightly, the wings will produce more lift. • The more the pilot • increases the angle of attack, the more lift there will be, until an angle of about 15º At this point the airflow becomes turbulent, Bernoulli’s principle no longer applies and most of the lift is lost- this is the stall

Stalling angle • The stalling angle varies • from one type of wing to another, and it depends upon the shape and general design of the wing. Each wing has its own stalling angle and the wing will always stall when the angle of attack reached that angle. For conventional aircraft it is around 15º.

Stalling Speed • The air speed at which an aircraft stalls (the stalling speed) does vary. Every aircraft has ‘pilot’s notes’ which gives facts and figures about performance, including the stalling speeds for certain flight conditions.

Factors affecting Stalling Speed • Weight – Extra weight • • increases the stalling speed Power – The higher the power used, the lower the stalling speeds Flaps- With flaps lowered the stalling speed is reduced. • Ice- it alters the designed • • shape of the wing section reducing the lift and increasing the stalling speed. Damaged Wings- can reduce lift and so increase the stalling speed. Manoeuvres- most affect the stalling speed, in a turn the stalling speed is increased.

Attitude and the Stall • An aircraft can stall in any attitude, whether wings level, in a turn, upside down or whatever. The crucial factor in determining when a wing will stall is the angle of attack.

Questions

Questions

Answers • 1. c) • 2. b) • 3. a) • 4. a)