if gravity opens pendulous vanes....
- Thread starter bLizZuE
- Start date
tgrayson
New Member
The attitude indicator will eventually erect with respect to the artificial gravity, hence one of the errors of the instrument. However, it maxes at 180 degrees. A 360 degree turn will undo the error.
tgrayson
New Member
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, regarding the equivalence of gravity and acceleration?
jrh
Well-Known Member
You have to think in three dimensional terms of the aircraft rotating around the gyroscope.
As was pointed out, the instrument's max error occurs at the 180 degree mark of a turn. That's because for the first 180 degrees of a circle, the instrument is recalibrating itself based on the G forces. It is being turned on its side.
However, remember how the gyro is "stuck in space" and the fuselage is pivoting around it? Well, just as there was a force for the first half of the 360, pushing the gyro to the side, during the second half of the 360 the same force will be pushing the gyro back towards its original position.
Does that help at all? Clear as mud?
As was pointed out, the instrument's max error occurs at the 180 degree mark of a turn. That's because for the first 180 degrees of a circle, the instrument is recalibrating itself based on the G forces. It is being turned on its side.
However, remember how the gyro is "stuck in space" and the fuselage is pivoting around it? Well, just as there was a force for the first half of the 360, pushing the gyro to the side, during the second half of the 360 the same force will be pushing the gyro back towards its original position.
Does that help at all? Clear as mud?
meritflyer
Well-Known Member
tgrayson
New Member
Actually, not a joke. An aircraft in a steady turn has an acceleration towards the center of the circle. The contents of the aircraft resist being accelerated and this resistance feels just like gravity. Einstein said there is no experiment that can be performed that can tell the difference. You will run into pilots who, in all seriousness, claim that if they lost their gyro instruments, they'd hang something from the ceiling and try to keep it straight.
As for the attitude indicator errors, the Jepp book talks about them, but I don't recall how much detail.
flyguy
Well-Known Member
Yup, and see if you can figure out how to build a gyro powered time machine while you're at it.Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, regarding the equivalence of gravity and acceleration?
seagull
Well-Known Member
I thought it was a great, obvious answer, and exactly correct. I am scratching my head to figure out how you could answer that question in a different way?