Flight Mechanics & Space Dynamics: GATE AE Comprehensive Syllabus & Solved PYQs

Dynamic Stability

Atmospheric Flight Mechanics

Space Dynamics & Orbital Mechanics

Static Stability & Control

Which of the following statements is/are TRUE about the stability of an aircraft?

An aircraft starts gliding in power-off condition at an altitude of 4 km. Given that the maximum lift to drag ratio of the aircraft is 15, the maximum glide range that the aircraft can cover, measured along the ground, is ________ km (rounded off to the nearest integer).

An earth satellite has the instantaneous position vector r⃗ and velocity vector v⃗ as given below. Here p̂ and q̂ denote the unit vectors along the x and y axes of the perifocal frame, respectively. Assume that the value of gravitational parameter is 398600 km3/s^2. Which one of the following trajectories does the satellite follow? r⃗ = (8000p̂ + 9000q̂) km and v⃗ = (-6p̂ + 6q̂) km/s

An earth satellite moves in an elliptical orbit with a perigee altitude of 300 km and an apogee altitude of 3000 km. Assume that the radius of the earth is 6378 km. The eccentricity of the orbit is __________ (rounded off to three decimal places).

A gas mixture at a pressure of 800 kPa and a density of 5 kg/m3 enters a turbine stage. The temperature of the gas at the nozzle exit and the stage exit are 790 K and 750 K, respectively. Assume the specific heats are constant for the gas mixture in the range of temperatures considered. The specific heat at constant pressure is 0.72 kJ/kg-K and the ratio of specific heats is 1.33. The value of the degree of reaction of the turbine stage is ________ (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

A general aviation airplane is in steady and level flight. The airplane is prone to adverse yaw. Which one of the following options best describes the deflections of aileron and rudder to achieve a coordinated right turn?

For a general aviation airplane, which one of the following has a destabilizing effect on its static roll stability?

A general aviation airplane is flying at an altitude of 5000 m. The indicated airspeed is 250 km/h. Assume that there are no instrument errors and position errors. Neglecting compressibility effects, which one of the following options is FALSE?