HOW TO FLY - No Really!

[onetrack]

In order to imitate the birds, observe them.

 

And those observations failed many an early would-be aviator, who all failed to take into account, the subtle but major reasons why birds can fly, and men can't ...

 

I can think of at least 10 early aviators who tried to copy birds (all with disastrous results) ...

 

King Bladud

 

Al-Djawhari

 

Giovanni Battista Danti

 

Paolo Guidotti

 

John Williams, Archbishop of York

 

Pierre Desforges

 

Besnier the Locksmith

 

The Marquis de Bacqueville

 

João Torto

 

Father John Damian de Falcuis

 

 

[onetrack]

Sir George Cayley possessed a brilliant engineering and analytical mind, and he guessed at the principle of the aerofoil from his study of birds in flight, and other studies carried out by himself and others on airflow.

 

He predicted that Man would be able to fly, but only with the input of power from a power source that had adequate power output, coupled with light weight.

 

For a man living in the early steam age, long before petroleum fuel extraction and refining, and long before the invention of the Otto engine, he was a very remarkable man with great foresight.

 

https://www.j2mcl-planeurs.net/dbj2mcl/planeurs-biblio/fac-similes/On_aerial_navigation_(Cayley_1809).pdf

 

 

[spacesailor]

The right sized wing area , with lightweight material. assembled as Mr da Vinci's hang glider .

 

A one off leap off a cliff,!.

 

Fly or don't come back.

 

Angles wings not allowed ?.

 

 

 

[onetrack]

Spacey, Da Vinci failed to get his ornithopter off the ground, despite his fantastic drawings.

 

He, too, failed to understand the light weight of bird bones, and birds enormous muscle power, as compared to us puny, earthbound humans.

 

 

[onetrack]

So .. on the basis of Sir Georges pioneering findings, I propose that the definition of "How to Fly", in one sentence, is as follows;

 

"Overcome gravity with a suitably-shaped aerofoil, and overcome aerodynamic drag, by applying sufficient thrust".  I rest me case, yer 'onour.

 

 

[mnewbery]

I dont consider projectiles and rockets to be flying, or cricket balls. Flight involves aerofoils.

 

Sputnik: "Am I a joke to you?"

 

 

[spacesailor]

But L DaVinci didn't have carbon-fibre, or super lightweight fabric for the skins.

 

With enough height you should have a few Minutes to perfect your flying skills !.

 

I mean they have a "Manta-Ray flying. It flaps it "wings like an Ornithopter, no propeller. (

 

 

spacesailor )

 

 

[onetrack]

Ahem, Spacey - using Helium to keep the Festo Air-Ray afloat, does not involve the processes of heavier-than-air, "flying"!! 

 

 

[spacesailor]

Sorry to disagree .

 

BUT

 

An airship flys..

 

So do all the hot air balloons.

 

OR CASA wouldn't make them have pilot licences.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[onetrack]

Pilot licencing has little to do with the processes involved in keeping aircraft that utilise aerofoils, airborne.

 

Pilot licences are required for every type of craft that travels through defined airspace, and that includes hot-air balloons - and today, even drones over a certain size.

 

The OP posed the question, "How to fly", and as I understand it, he was referring to heavier-than-air craft, that utilise engine power and aerofoils to stay aloft.

 

 

[spacesailor]

"he was referring to heavier-than-air craft, that utilise engine power and aerofoils to stay aloft."

 

That was not stated.

 

And the German Female that went up in a thunder-storm to get the world record certainly had No engine power !.

 

SO you can fly very high & for as long as an engine powered aircraft can. "Ultralights" that is. Not jumbo jets.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

  When you lift off particularly with a high nose attitude the lift will be less than the weight. In straight and level unaccelerated flight lift equals weight. When you climb it's because you have an excess of power and that enables you to increase your potential energy ie Gain height..  Nev

 

 

[M61A1]

  When you lift off particularly with a high nose attitude the lift will be less than the weight. In straight and level unaccelerated flight lift equals weight. When you climb it's because you have an excess of power and that enables you to increase your potential energy ie Gain height..  Nev

 

Either way way the lift vector, regardless of whether thrust contributes, has to exceed gravity at least long enough to become airborne. 

 

Lift could be from a moving airfoil, thrust from a rotating airfoil, pure jet/rocket thrust or a large pocket of of lighter than air material.

 

 In a tow launch glider the thrust vector is negative, but they still climb.

 

The OP question didn't specify fixed wing powered flight only.

 

 

[Manwell]

Either way way the lift vector, regardless of whether thrust contributes, has to exceed gravity at least long enough to become airborne. 

 

Lift could be from a moving airfoil, thrust from a rotating airfoil, pure jet/rocket thrust or a large pocket of of lighter than air material.

 

 In a tow launch glider the thrust vector is negative, but they still climb.

 

The OP question didn't specify fixed wing powered flight only.

 

Correct M61.   Let's narrow it down to powered flight in fixed wing aircraft, although the principles would be as valid for rotary wing.  Piston, Turboprop, and Jet are all forms of powered flight.

 

How to Fly from the Pilot's perspective, not the aircraft.

 

 

[kasper]

How to fly from a fixed wing pilots perspective ... 30 words or less ... 

 

You manage your aircraft within its and your limits using its controls to move in your desired direction accomodating the changeable nature of the air in which you fly.

 

 

[onetrack]

Well, the original question was poorly worded and poorly outlined, then, IMO. A pilot requires a different skill set for every single type and variety of airborne equipment - isn't that the reason for endorsements?

 

A hot air balloon only has lift acting on it, so the pilot of a HOB has only two options available to him - go up or go down. Compare that to the knowledge and skills required to pilot a B747, and there's a major difference.

 

I thought this forum was about recreational flying with powered aircraft. I haven't seen any hang-gliding or HOB forums on the site?

 

 

[Manwell]

Well, the original question was poorly worded and poorly outlined, then, IMO. A pilot requires a different skill set for every single type and variety of airborne equipment - isn't that the reason for endorsements?

 

A hot air balloon only has lift acting on it, so the pilot of a HOB has only two options available to him - go up or go down. Compare that to the knowledge and skills required to pilot a B747, and there's a major difference.

 

I thought this forum was about recreational flying with powered aircraft. I haven't seen any hang-gliding or HOB forums on the site?

 

That's not quite correct, onetrack.   Flying any aircraft requires the same basic methodology from type to type, and between fixed and rotary.  I didn't ask for the knowledge or skills to fly, just how to fly a fixed or rotary wing, powered, or glider really makes little difference.  Think more basic and general, rather than advanced and specific.  

 

 

[kaz3g]

Even that's arguable, comrade ....

 

[ATTACH]39737[/ATTACH][ATTACH]39736[/ATTACH]

 

"The Soviet-era attitude indicator is the opposite—brown on top and blue on the bottom. That could spell disaster for an unfamiliar pilot trying to recover from an unusual attitude in instrument meteorological conditions."

 

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2013/april/04/mig-15-flying-the-enemy-fighter

 

That’s a northern hemisphere model!

 

 

[spacesailor]

" I thought this forum was about recreational flying with powered aircraft. I haven't seen any hang-gliding or HOB forums on the site? "

 

I thought RAA & the BAK exam were about recreational flying.  My mistake, Passengers. luggage, multiple fuel loads . all for W & B, questions .

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

 I think I have the answer. Check out the best rated airline and fly first class and have someone else pay for it.. Nev

 

 

[spenaroo]

Look out the window, and keep it balanced.

 

or at least thats what my instructor keeps reminding me (more so the looking out the window bit)

 

 

[Manwell]

Look out the window, and keep it balanced.

 

or at least thats what my instructor keeps reminding me (more so the looking out the window bit)

 

That's the best answer so far spenaroo.  Did this instructor mention a simple equation by any chance?

 

 

[Thruster88]

That's the best answer so far spenaroo.  Did this instructor mention a simple equation by any chance?

 

This one?

 

Lift = coefficient x density x velocity x velocity x wing area / 2

 

Any pilot that understands stalling stick position has it made.

 

 

[spenaroo]

That's the best answer so far spenaroo.  Did this instructor mention a simple equation by any chance?

 

No, just to fly the picture.

 

The instruments are there to be glanced at, just a very quick look to confirm.

 

If you are flying the picture outside (where the nose is relative to the horizon, where the ground sits on the windscreen during a banked turn) the instruments will reflect that.

 

 

[Manwell]

This one?

 

Lift = coefficient x density x velocity x velocity x wing area / 2

 

Any pilot that understands stalling stick position has it made.

 

Stalling stick position isn't what I had in mind, and it's much simpler than that equation, Thruster.   In practical terms, which two elements must be controlled in order to fly any aircraft?