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SeligSIM Assignment 1

15 points

Last edited 40 days ago by Clayton Brown.

Overview

Recall the article that Ryan shared in week 2 that summarized the importance of good training paired with good simulation. The article suggested that without proper training and instruction, a pilot can develop bad skills.

Fortunately, SeligSIM, being a university professor’s project, has flight training built right into the home menu. In this assignment, you will be reviewing these videos and creating a short write-up of the technique used before completing the lessons in future SeligSIM assignments.

Tasks

Flight Training Videos

Now that you have SeligSIM installed on your computer, according to

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, you will be able to complete these tasks on your own PC from the comfort of your bed! 🛏️

From the main menu, select the Flight Training option and choose Airplane.

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Flight Training Menu

Flight Training Menu

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Starting from the first lesson, Ground School, watch the videos for each lesson by clicking the Fly button. Complete the questions for each lesson below.

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After the lesson, press the ESC key to return to the Flight Training Menu.

Basic

Lesson 1: Ground School

List and describe each of the main controls

Left Stick

Throttle

Rudder

Right Stick

Elevator

Ailerons

Lesson 2: Takeoff

What is the first thing to do before moving/taxing the aircraft? Describe this process and describe exactly what you are looking for.

The first thing to do is ensuring that all controls and control surfaces are functioning properly on the aircraft. Something could’ve changed after a modification so ensuring this is crucial for saving planes! The process of this is moving the sticks and testing that the surfaces are functioning how they are supposed to.

What control is used to maneuver on the ground?

Left stick and specifically the throttle and rudder.

Outline the process of the takeoff procedure

Face the drone oriented away from you and then increase throttle with pushing right stick down, pulling elevator back.

What direction should you take off?

Drone oriented away from you, at least to start, until one becomes proficient and can reorient the controls on the go.

Why does the instructor taxi away from himself first before initiating the takeoff sequence? What can you say about the takeoff point?

The instructor does this to ensure he’s safe and that nothing else is around in the aircraft when taking off. He does this because the takeoff point is very dangerous because the aircraft is getting up to speed and it is also in a transition period of contact with the ground to the air.

How does this differ from the Believer?

The differs from the Believers because the Believers don’t have landing gear and will need to be launched by an additional individual involved. This will also add more risk but with training it shouldn’t be that bad.

Lesson 3: Turns

Describe the throttle input from takeoff to cruise altitude.

Full throttle to take off but then backing it off once at cruising altitude to increase control but also to keep it more stable for longer.

What does it mean to pull the aircraft through a turn? Add a diagram showing the aircraft's forces to help illustrate this process.

This means that when utilizing the ailerons for turning it’s also important to pull up on the elevator to pull the aircraft through the turn. Then ensures a nice consistent turn without putting too much strain on the airframe and inputting unnecessary controls.

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When are you most likely to turn the aircraft the wrong way? That is, when are you most likely to lose your orientation?

This is most likely to happen when it’s facing towards you or it’s traveling in a straight line away from you at a significant distance.

How do you plan to combat incorrect orientation?

Always plan on inputting a control surface to keep the prospective the plan in view to understand the planes orientation and heading.

Lesson 4: Self-Recovery

Why fly high?

To stay a few mistakes away from hitting the ground. This ensures the safety of the fixed wing drone and also the people involved.

How does the instructor suggest recovering from incorrect attitudes?

Pull back throttle and put sticks in neutral positions to allow the Alpha to come out of it as it was programmed to do.

Lesson 5: Stall Recovery

What is a stall?

A loss of wing speed over the wings, where the air isn’t travelling fast enough over the wings to produce lift.

How can you recognize a stall?

One can recognize a stall from is the nose suddenly dives out of nowhere based on the previous inputs.

How can you recover from a stall? Describe the process in detail.

One way of recovering from a stall is to keep power going into the throttle and either push elevator down or bring it to a neutral position. That being said though, in no scenario do you want to keep pulling back on the elevator because this will prohibit the aircraft from gaining airspeed for a recovery.

What is the improper way to recover a stall?

By continuing to pull back on the elevator because this will prohibit the aircraft from gaining airspeed for a recovery.

Lesson 6: Landings

What is a flair?

A flair is the last step in ensuring a safe landing. Basically, when the pilot is letting the aircraft descend to the runway, to the aircraft land on the main body wheels you pull back on the elevator at the last moment to keep the nose wheel from touching first.

Describe the instructor’s control inputs as he aligns for the landing? Describe the throttle, rudder, aileron, and elevator positions.

Ailerons and rudder are in a neutral position, if it’s a calm day with no winds, and throttle is off. Basically, just glide into the runway and pull back on elevator at the last moment to flair and have a safe successful landing.

How can you tell if you are aligned with the runway centerline? What is a technique that you could use?

One can tell if they are aligned with the runway's centerline is determining if the aircraft is flying parallel to you and how far parallel. Also, a technique that can help with this is when it’s on its descent to keep manipulating the Ailerons until the aircraft is centered over the runway.

How can you tell if you are on the correct glide slope to touchdown directly in front of you?

You can tell you’re on the correct glide slope for touchdown directly in front of you if the aircraft is descending with no additional inputs and if the aircrafts speed isn’t too fast to fly by or to slow to miss it entirely. Think 3 to 6 degrees above the ground from you and this will help you maintain a stable landing with minimal inputs and have it land in front of you.

Lesson 7: Stunts

How do the flight characteristics of this trainer aircraft differ from those of the Believer? That is, in its current configuration, could you perform stunts with the believer?

You’d still be able to perform these stunts, but they will be controlled using different control surfaces to ensure you aren’t losing altitude and maintain safe flight.