Aircarft performance work - Assignment Example

ly against a clock and are required to complete tight turns through demanding aerial low altitude attack course consisting of “Air Gate” or Pylons (1). These races are mainly held over water close to cities. They are also held at natural wonders or airfields accompanied by supporting programs to show flights. More often than not, these races are held on weekends. The first day is dedicated for qualification with the second day being dedicated for knockout finals (1). During the race the aircrafts can achieve speeds of up to 230 mph, and, they along with the pilots can experience force of up to 12G (1).

The ultimate objective of the race is to complete the course with the fastest possible time. The Pilots must enter, pass through and exit each Air Gate in the precise position, either flying level or at 90˚ to level (often referred to as Knife edge flying) (1). Whilst avoiding contact with the pylons and the aircraft. Hence reduce being penalized with time penalties to the overall lap time. The eventual winner in this series is determined through aggregation total points obtained at the end of each of the races across the season.

For one to qualify, a pilot along with the chosen aircrafts must meet strict requirements set by the Red Bull Race organizers. The pilots must agree to be taken through a super License testing process in ensuring that he/she can cope with difficult turning/maneuvering while at the same time flying at a very low ground speeds. This races provide the pilots with a unique opportunity to showcase their skills speed precisions as they push their aircrafts, as well as themselves through extreme physical limits (2).

The Zivco Edge 540 aircraft is a racing aircraft manufactured by Zivko Aeronautics and was first introduced in 2000. There are three variations of this aircraft: Zivko Edge 540, Zivko Edge 540A, and Edge 540T. Zivko Edge 540, which is the latest of the three variations is the focus of this analysis. This is highly aerobatic and