Question about G-forces

[PU Grad]

well if he's flying with the longitudinal stick centered:

inverted exactly -1G
nose down, something less than +1G (maybe .9 or so)
vertical +1G plus the force accelerating him upwards (if he is indeed gaining altitude and not in a tail slide or maintaining constant altitude)

yeah, the question has been officially nuked.

This isn't exactly correct. He can be in a vertical climb or a dive and still feel 1G as long as his velocity does not change.

Since I assume they showed you just static pictures (I don't remember the exam, it's been a long time) and not a flight path, I am going to assume the plane is not moving, and therefore the plane is not accelerating and it's a bogus question. :icon_tong

Now seriously, if you want more helpful input we need to have more knowledge on the question.

Kobyra

 

[E6286]

The question had a picture of the plane in four positions. Rightside up, heading straight up, upside down, and heading straight down (a loop). The question asked where in the picture would the pilot feel the most Gs? I said upsidedown, but from what I am reading, I am wrong.

 

[Geese]

Its the bottom of the loop.

Totally. The bottom of the loop is the only place where you can ADD the force vector of gravity to the force vector of centrifugal (yes, I know it's not a real force, but go do a 60° turn and tell me you didnt feel something) force.

In all the other parts of the loop, the force vectors will either not add up to the same amount, or cancel out.

 

[Geese]

vertical +1G plus the force accelerating him upwards (if he is indeed gaining altitude and not in a tail slide or maintaining constant altitude)

Going straight up at a constant airspeed will not give you anything more than one G felt in that direction. Even if you are gaining altitude, it's unacellerated flight.

Going in a loop is going to mean G forces felt in the direction that is perpendicular to the loop, but this is not relative to the fact that the aircraft is gaining altitude. This is "acellerated" flight, but you're changing direction to get the acelleration.

 

[Ajax]

definately the bottom of the loop, not sure about the fancy mumbo jumbo, but it's just where the pilot feels the most G's.
I got the answer wrong on the test though, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Fly Navy]

Totally. The bottom of the loop is the only place where you can ADD the force vector of gravity to the force vector of centrifical (yes, I know it's not a real force, but go do a 60° turn and tell me you didnt feel something) force.

Nice combination of the words centripetal and centrifugal.

 

[Geese]

Nice combination of the words centripetal and centrifugal.

It's a composite.

 

[Brett327]

It's like watching a monkey trying to fvck a football.

Good times!

Brett

 

[PU Grad]

in the case of a constant radius loop the bottom is where the highest G loading is.

Kobyra