AMTE 227- 13B

AIRCRAFT POSITION
AND WARNING
SYSTEM

DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2020

NAME: GALLANO, AUSLEY JUDD T.
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. CARLOS CARPIO
 Purpose of Stall Warning
An aircraft Stall Warning System is that system which provides the pilot with advance
warning of an impending stall. Any airplane that does not give the pilot unmistakable warning
(buffeting, shaking, etc.) that a complete stall is developing is a dangerous airplane to fly . . . no
matter how delightful its other flight characteristics might be. An airplane like that is dangerous
to any pilot in the traffic pattern where a sudden distraction or a miscalculation due to a
momentary lapse of attention can lead to a stall, especially while "turning final". Stall warning
systems are also designed to activate based on the stall characteristics of clean, contamination
free surfaces. Airframe contamination can occur both on the ground and during flight.
Contamination present whilst still on the ground must be removed by a ground deicing process
prior to flight. Should icing conditions be encountered during flight, Aircraft Ice Protection
Systems should be activated. An ice-affected wing will almost certainly stall at a lower angle of
attack. Stall warning margins are almost always significantly reduced, and the pilot will
frequently receive no notice of the impending stall.

Types of Stall Warning

- Pre-Stall Buffet
In this case, the warning of the impending stall is provided solely by aerodynamic buffet. As the
aircraft approaches the stall, the airflow across the upper cambered surface of the wing ceases to
flow smoothly, it loses contact with the wing surface and it becomes turbulent. If the turbulent
air then flows across the horizontal stabilizer, buffet results. In many aircraft, even some as large
as the LOCKHEED C-130, this buffet provides the sole warning of the impending stall.

- Audible Warning
Stall warning is provided by an electronic or mechanical device that sounds an audible warning
as the stall speed is approached. The simplest such device is an airframe mounted stall warning
horn which sounds when the airflow through it occurs at a specific angle. Slightly more
sophisticated audible warning devices consist of either a pressure sensor or a moveable metal tab
that actuates a switch as the stall is approached. The switch, in turn, activates an audible warning
horn. In some installations, the audible warning is provided by a synthetic voice which helps to
reduce warning ambiguity.

- Stick Shaker
A stick shaker is a mechanical device that shakes the control column to warn of the onset of stall.
A stick pusher may be installed in association with a stick shaker system in aircraft which are
susceptible to the deep stall phenomenon. A deep stall affects certain aircraft designs, most
notably those with a T-tail configuration, and results in a substantial reduction or, in some cases,
complete loss of elevator authority making normal stall recovery actions ineffective; in many
cases, a deep stall might be unrecoverable. The stick pusher is designed to prevent the pilot from
allowing the aircraft to enter a stall. In all cases, the stick shaker will activate before the stick
pusher.

- Angle of Attack
Stall warning systems often involve inputs from a broad range of sensors and systems and
include a dedicated angle of attack sensor. At a predetermined angle of attack, calculated for
each possible configuration, the angle of attack sensor triggers the activation of the stick shaker
or the audible warning device as appropriate to the aircraft fitment. An angle of attack indicator
may or may not be incorporated into the pilot's instrument panel. When installed, the indicator
will give a visual indication of the aircraft proximity to the critical angle of attack.
 Angle of Attack Indicator
An angle of attack indicator offers a visual indication of the amount of lift the wing is generating
at a given airspeed or angle of bank. The AOA delivers critical information visually or through
an aural tone to indicate the actual safety margin above an aerodynamic stall. AOAs are created
around one of two systems, either a lift reserve indicator or a normalized AOA. An LRI is
normally accurate in a single configuration, usually near the approach angle of attack. The
advantage of a normalized AOA is that the angle of attack measurement is accurate in all aircraft
configurations. The normalized AOA is in use on Dassault’s Falcon 7X and 8X, the Airbus A380
and nearly every jet produced by Embraer. Both AOA configurations consist of a heated wing
probe that looks similar to a standard pitot tube. Both AOA versions also require an air-data
computer and a visual cockpit indicator. The AOA tube is constructed with two tiny machined
holes to create differential pressure sources. One hole is bore-sighted at the front of the AOA
tube along the longitudinal axis, while the second, located at the bottom of the AOA probe, is
pointed downward at a 45-degree angle to act as a reference source.

What is a Vane-type Sensor for Angle of Attack?

The angle of attack sensor is of the wind vane type. This type of sensor uses a sensing element
that is a small wing which is positioned in the direction of the airflow. The small wing is
mechanically linked to a free-turn shaft which drives the devices transmitting the local angle of
attack signal. These transmitting devices are made up of resolver transformers which convert the
angular information into proportional electrical information (angle sine and cosine). The whole
mechanism is stabilized around the rotation axis. In addition, a damping device enables a
satisfactory dynamic response to be obtained (filtering of mechanical oscillation).

Reference:
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aircraft-building/BuilderResources/while-youre-building/building-
articles/instruments-and-avionics/a-look-at-stall-warning-devices?
https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Stall_Warning_Systems#:~:text=Stall%20warning
%20systems%20are%20designed,the%20ground%20and%20during%20flight.&text=An
%20ice%2Daffected%20wing%20will,a%20lower%20angle%20of%20attack.
https://www.flyingmag.com/how-it-works-angle-attack-indicator/#:~:text=An%20angle%20of
%20attack%20indicator,margin%20above%20an%20aerodynamic%20stall.
https://www.satcom.guru/2018/12/angle-of-attack-failure-modes.html#:~:text=The%20angle
%20of%20attack%20sensor,local%20angle%20of%20attack%20signal.