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Aircraft Performance — DGCA CPL Technical Specific
Chapter 03 of the Technical Specific paper. 117 practice questions in the Avielevate bank, every one with its answer key, filterable into a timed set on this chapter alone.
What this chapter covers
The learning objectives we file Aircraft Performance questions under, and how many sit behind each. These come straight out of the bank and are regenerated whenever it changes — they are what is there today, not a claim.
| Learning objective | In the bank |
|---|
| 0503 Take-off Performance & V-Speeds | 55 questions |
| 0504 Climb Performance | 14 questions |
| 0505 Cruise Performance & Range | 35 questions |
| 0506 Landing Performance | 5 questions |
| 0508 Environmental Effects on Performance | 8 questions |
Sample Aircraft Performance questions, answered and explained
Real questions from this chapter, with the answer marked and the reasoning written out — the same explanations you get inside the app.
050125 · Aircraft Performance
While preparing for flight, a pilot mistakenly selects a V1 higher than it should be. If an engine then fails just above the speed that should have been the correct V1, what problem results?
- AThe required stopping distance will exceed the distance available.
- BThe take-off distance required with one engine inoperative may exceed the distance available.
- CV2 could end up too high, reducing climb performance.
- DIt could cause over-rotation.
Why that is the answer
If a pilot mistakenly selects a V1 higher than the correct value, and an engine fails at a speed just above this incorrect (too-high) V1, the crew will continue the take-off (since the decision speed has technically been reached/passed) even though the actual, correct V1 for continuing safely was lower. This means the take-off continues with less speed margin built into the certified performance calculations than intended, and the achieved climb-out speed profile — including V2 attainment — may be compromised: V2 may effectively be reached under conditions where climb performance is degraded relative to what was calculated, because the balanced field/climb performance data assumed the correct (lower) V1. The stop distance issue would arise from an engine failure recognized too late relative to accelerate-stop calculations if V1 were too LOW, not too high; over-rotation and rejecting-related stopping distance concerns are not the direct consequence described. The core problem with an artificially high V1 is degraded one-engine-out climb performance because the aeroplane continues the take-off later than the true safe V1, affecting the climb speed/gradient margins built around V2.
050127 · Aircraft Performance
Do the vertical-speed-versus-forward-speed curves differ for two identical aeroplanes of different masses (assuming zero thrust and no wind)?
- AYes, the lighter aeroplane will always glide a greater distance.
- BYes, at a given angle of attack both the vertical and forward speeds of the heavier aeroplane will be larger.
- CNo difference.
- DYes, the heavier aeroplane will always glide a greater distance.
Why that is the answer
For a glider or power-off descent, the vertical and forward speed at a given angle of attack are both governed by the equilibrium glide speed, which itself is proportional to the square root of wing loading (weight divided by wing area). A heavier aeroplane must fly faster at the same angle of attack (same lift coefficient) to generate the extra lift needed to support its weight, so both its forward speed and its vertical (sink) speed at that angle of attack are larger than those of a lighter, otherwise identical aeroplane. Crucially, because lift-to-drag ratio (and hence best glide angle and glide distance) at a given angle of attack is unchanged by weight, glide distance capability is the same for both aircraft — ruling out (a) and (d). Option (c) is wrong because although glide ANGLE/RATIO is unaffected by mass, the actual speeds at a given AoA are not equal between different masses.
050164 · Aircraft Performance
For a twin-engine aircraft at a given mass, the stall speed in landing configuration is 100 kt. On short final, the lowest speed the pilot may maintain is:
- A130 kt
- B115 kt
- C125 kt
- D120 kt
Why that is the answer
On short final in the landing configuration, the minimum approach/reference speed used is conventionally taken as 1.3 times the stalling speed in that configuration (VREF = 1.3 Vs), giving a standard 30% margin above the stall to protect against gust effects, manoeuvring loads and a safe flare margin. With a landing-configuration stalling speed of 100 kt, multiplying by 1.3 gives a minimum speed of 130 kt that the pilot must maintain on short final. The other options (115, 125, 120 kt) do not correspond to the standard 1.3 Vs margin and are simply incorrect multiples.
- Given: VS (landing configuration) = 100 kt
- Standard minimum approach speed margin = 1.3 x VS
- Substitute: 1.3 x 100 kt
- Result: 130 kt
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Frequently asked
How many Aircraft Performance questions are there for the DGCA CPL Technical Specific paper?
Avielevate's bank carries 117 published Aircraft Performance questions for Technical Specific, mapped across 5 learning objectives. Every one has its answer key, and explanations are being written across the whole bank.
How much of the Technical Specific paper is Aircraft Performance?
The DGCA does not publish a per-chapter breakdown of its papers, so nobody can honestly tell you — and we will not guess. What we can tell you is what students who have just sat a paper reported meeting, which is measured rather than rumoured: that is the exam recall report inside the app.
What is the best way to revise Aircraft Performance?
Sit a short timed set on this chapter alone, tag how sure you were of each answer, then drill the two that actually leak marks: the ones you got right while guessing, and the ones you got wrong while confident. Avielevate does that tagging for you and puts anything you got wrong back in front of you on a spaced schedule.
The rest of the Technical Specific paper
One account covers every chapter of every paper.
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