Contrails

Propeller or jet powered airplanes can produced line shaped clouds and it is called Contrails. it is existing combination of high humidity and low temperatures of the atmosphere at high altitudes. It is made mostly of water, which freezes rapidly at those heights to form ice crystals. Depending on the temperature and the humidity, contrails can remain for just a few seconds or for several hours. The airplane’s exhaust produces very little of the actual water in a contrail. Most of the water in a contrail is already in the air as the plane passes through it. (ref:http://www.nasaexplores.com/show_58_student_sh.php?id=030109110655)

Supersonic Balancing Act

Physic of the flying objects involves the interesting problems, and engineers must solve them. One of the most important problem is Balance. Concorde must keep its Central Gravity (CG) with in the certain limits in spite of flight attendants moving heavy serving carts and people walking around inside in. Added to that is the problem that center of lift of the wings moves back several feet as the plane nears the speed of sound, so CG must be shifted along with it. To do this, a system of pumps and fuel lines moves fuel between the fore and aft fuselage fuel tanks.

SMART QUESTIONS: Why concord nose is down when it is landing?

previews Q's answer : nose is down when it is landing, because pilot has to see the ranway...

Faster Than a Magnum Bullet

Most airspeed indicators are calibrated in knots or miles per hour. Airplanes that fly at the speed of sound also are equipped with device which measures airplane's speed in relationship to the speed of sound, or Mach. The Machmeter indicates Mach 1.0 when airplanes is traveling at the speed of sound. Below the speed of sound, indication is given as decimal fraction. For example, flight at %65 of the speed of sound is displayed as Mach 0.65. In comparison, the velocity of a 357 Magnum bullet is approximately 1400 feet per second. This translates to Mach 1.67. X15A-2 is the fastest airplane in the world. It is rocket powered research airplane and top speed is 6.72 Mach. X15A is appr. 5 times faster than Magnum bullet.

SMART QUESTIONS :
Airport taxiway edge lights are identified at night by
a- white
b- blue
c- red