Real-Life Math
Math is a crucial tool for investigating accidents.
"This
is the subject that underpins all scientific and engineering-related disciplines,
and being proficient in math will assist you immeasurably in the future. All
I can say is get good at math and ensure you have a positive attitude towards
it. You never know when you may need it," says George Carney. He is part of
a two-person team that investigates all British Army air accidents throughout
the world.
You are an aviation accident investigator, and you have
been called out to a crash site. At the accident, you are faced with a number
of strike marks on the ground caused by the main rotor blades hitting the
ground at impact.
You need to work out the speed of the aircraft
at initial impact when the blades made contact. You can do this by calculating
the distance between the strike marks. You measure one meter
between the first three strike marks (after the first three strikes the distance
increases as the rotor speed reduced).
You know the nominal rotational
speed of the Main Rotor Head (MRH) is 330 revolutions per minute (RPM). There
are four blades on the main rotor. Find out how many times a blade passes
a point on the ground. Then use the equation Distance/Time = Speed.
Remember
that the speed of aircraft and boats is measured in knots. To convert kilometers
to knots, use the equation Kilometers x 0.54 = Knots.
How long will
it take the aircraft to reach its destination?