CAA NZ AME Subject 2: Aircraft Engineering Knowledge study plan

Map the primary load paths through a semi-monocoque fuselage and a two-spar wing, naming skin, stringer, frame, rib, spar and carry-through, and stating the load each member carries.

Explain in writing how angle of attack, camber and airspeed generate lift, and why exceeding the critical angle of attack is the direct cause of every aerodynamic stall.

Differentiate induced, parasite and profile drag, and describe how aspect ratio, wing loading and flap or gear configuration change total drag and the lift-to-drag ratio.

Resolve the four forces for steady level flight, climb, descent and a level turn, and calculate simple lift-equals-weight and thrust-equals-drag balances at a stated flight condition.

Classify fail-safe, safe-life and damage-tolerant structure, give one aircraft example of each, and explain how inspection programmes differ for each philosophy.

Identify the effects of Mach number, sweep, flutter and aeroelasticity on wing and control-surface design limits at high speed.

Distinguish primary, secondary and auxiliary flight controls by function, then trace the control chain from cockpit input through cables, bellcranks, quadrants, power control units or fly-by-wire to surface movement.

Explain mass balance, hinge moment, flutter prevention, artificial feel and gust-lock purpose for each control surface, and predict what a rigging or free-play defect would feel like in flight.

Classify airframe materials, including 2024, 7075 and 6061 aluminium alloys, CRES steels, titanium and composite laminates, giving one typical application and the reason for the choice.

Identify AN, MS and NAS bolts, Hi-Lok and rivet types by head marking, and state grip length, edge distance, hole sizing and the correct locking method for each.

Describe heat-treatment tempers, alclad protection and anodising, and explain why dissimilar metal contact sets up galvanic corrosion at the joint.

Trace a typical 3000 psi hydraulic system from reservoir, pump, filter, accumulator and relief valve through selector valves to actuators, stating the function and failure effect of each component.

Compare phosphate-ester and mineral-based hydraulic fluids, the seal materials each requires, and the contamination controls, sampling and flushing regime that keep a system serviceable.

Solve pressure, force and area problems for actuating cylinders, and explain accumulator precharge, pressure regulation and how a pump unloader or pressure-compensating pump behaves at the cut-out pressure.

Describe pneumatic bleed-air sources, precooling and pressure regulation, and list every aircraft system that consumes bleed air, including anti-ice, pressurisation, engine start and hydraulic reservoir pressurisation.

Explain thermal bleed-air, pneumatic boot, electrothermal and weeping-glycol ice protection, plus windshield heat and rain removal, and state where each method is used and its failure signature.

Describe fuel tank types, venting, boost pumps, crossfeed, jettison, unusable fuel and water or sediment drain checks, and explain why each item is airworthiness-significant.

Explain cabin pressurisation, covering outflow-valve control, differential pressure limits, cabin altitude and rate of change, and the function of air-cycle machine packs in the environmental control system.

State refuelling and defuelling safety rules: bonding and earthing, ignition-source control, fuel grade verification, spill response and quantity checks, and link them to ground-handling procedure.

Explain how fuel imbalance, contamination, incorrect grade or a leaking tank would show up in operation, how the defect is detected, and how it is recorded and released.

List the personal and aircraft safety precautions for working near fuel, pressurised systems and running engines.

Explain the four-stroke cycle, valve timing, ignition timing and mixture control in a horizontally opposed piston engine, and how each affects power output and detonation margin.

Calculate brake horsepower from brake mean effective pressure, stroke, bore area, rpm and cylinder count, and explain how altitude, temperature and carburettor icing erode achievable power.

Describe the Brayton cycle through compressor, combustor, turbine and exhaust, and explain how N1, N2, EGT and fuel flow are used to indicate thrust and monitor engine health.

Diagnose common turbine faults, including compressor surge and stall, hot-section distress, fuel-nozzle blockage and FADEC faults, from the indications each produces.

Compare engine inspection activities such as borescope, oil analysis, compression test, trend monitoring and hot-section inspection, and state the defect each is designed to catch.

Explain fixed-pitch, variable-pitch and constant-speed propeller operation, including governor action, feathering, beta range and reverse, and the centrifugal and aerodynamic forces acting on a blade.

Describe propeller balance and tracking, blade ice protection, and the damage limits that ground an aircraft, and explain how a governor or synchroniser failure presents in flight.

Explain DC generation and distribution: alternator or generator, voltage regulator, battery, bus ties, transformer rectifier units, circuit protection and load shedding on a typical 28 V DC system.

Explain AC generation and distribution at 115 V 400 Hz, covering constant-speed drives or integrated drive generators, over- and under-frequency and voltage protection, and AC-to-DC bus transfer.

Interpret open-circuit, short-circuit and high-resistance faults using a multimeter and wiring diagram, and state bonding and earthing requirements for return paths and lightning protection.

Explain pitot-static instruments, covering the altimeter, airspeed indicator and vertical speed indicator, including lag, position error, blockage symptoms and use of the alternate static source.

Describe gyroscopic instruments and their modern equivalents, such as AHRS, air data computers and EFIS displays, and how redundancy and dissimilarity protect against instrument failure.

Explain radio navigation and surveillance fundamentals for VOR, ILS, GNSS, transponder and ADS-B, and the failure indications a line engineer would report and record.

Identify airframe corrosion types, including galvanic, exfoliation, stress-corrosion cracking, fretting and filiform, with location, cause and inspection method for each.

State the corrosion removal and treatment sequence of cleaning, mechanical removal, conversion coating, primer and sealant, and the blend-out limits that require engineering assessment.

Apply airworthiness documentation in practice: maintenance release, Airworthiness Directives, Service Bulletins, minimum equipment list deferral, defect recording and the scope and limits of a licence holder's privileges.

Describe safe ground handling, covering jacking, towing, mooring, fuelling, engine ground runs, FOD control and personnel safety around propellers and intakes.

State the requirements for torque control, tool calibration, tooling traceability and record keeping, and explain why an out-of-calibration tool invalidates the maintenance action it was used for.

Sit timed mocks across all six domains and convert every wrong answer into a corrected fact card that is revisited after 48 hours.

Rehearse exam technique on multi-part questions: unit checking, eliminating distractors, flagging uncertain items and budgeting time per question.