Loading Quiz

The manufacturer is the best source of performance data and information, if available.

A change in speed during straight flight will not produce any appreciable change in load, but when a change is made in the sUAS flight path an additional load is imposed upon the structure. This is particularly true if a change in direction is made at high speeds with rapid, forceful control movements.Answer (A) is incorrect because the load increases only as the angle of attack is changed, momentarily. Once the climb attitude has been set, the wings only carry the load produced by the weight of the aircraft. Answer (C) is incorrect because in a stall, the wings are not producing lift.

Stall speed increases in proportion to the square root of the load factor. Thus, with a load factor of 4, an aircraft will stall at a speed which is double the normal stall speed.Answer (B) is incorrect because an airplane's tendency to spin does not relate to an increase in load factors. Answer (C) is incorrect because an airplane's stability determines its controllability.

Without a GPS or manufacturer performance data, you can determine speed by timing the ground speed of the sUAS when it is flown between two or more fixed points, taking into account wind speed and direction between each point, then noting the power settings of the sUAS to operate at or less than 87 knots ground speed. This is a form of dead reckoning.Answer (B) is incorrect because pilotage will help with navigating the Sectional Chart but cannot be used to determine ground speed. Answer (C) is incorrect because the wind triangle requires that you know true airspeed to determine ground speed; without instrumentation installed on the sUAS you won't have that information.

The airfoil will stall if the critical angle of attack is exceeded.Answer (A) is incorrect because while exceeding the maximum allowable operating weight could compromise the structural integrity and decrease controllability, it does not necessarily result in a stall. Answer (B) is incorrect because while the remote pilot may not fly faster than 87 knots (100 mph) or the manufacturer recommended maximum speed, exceeding these do not necessarily result in a stall.