INS 08B : Aircraft Magnetism

 

Q1. A direct reading compass should be swung when:

A compass re-swing is required when there is a large, and permanent, change in magnetic latitude.

Q2. A direct reading compass should be swung when:

A compass re-swing is required when there is a large, and permanent, change in magnetic latitude.

  • 1 (Physics): The Earth’s magnetic field strength (H and Z components) changes with latitude.
  • 2 (Effect): This changes the induction in soft iron components, altering the deviation coefficients. Therefore, a significant latitude change requires a re-swing.

Q3. A magnetic compass must be swung after?

Long term change in latitude. (

  • Reiteration: Matches logic of Question 14. Permanent/Long-term change in Latitude affects Soft Iron magnetism.

)

Q4. Aircraft magnetism caused by hard iron:

is not usually influenced by the earth’s magnetic field (

  • Definition: Hard Iron is permanent.
  • Stability: Its strength is constant and does not depend on the current external field strength or induction.

)

Q5. Aircraft magnetism caused by vertical soft iron:

varies with magnetic latitude but not with heading (

  • Component: Vertical Soft Iron (e.g., landing gear struts).
  • Induction: Induced by the Vertical (Z) component of Earth’s field.
  • Variable: Z changes with Latitude (Dip). Therefore, the magnetism varies with Latitude.

)

Q6. An aircraft has hard iron magnetism only, and this hard iron magnetism is represented by a red pole in relative bearing 070 from the compass. On what heading will the westerly deviation be maximum?

Correct answer is – Heading 020

  • Calculate the Aircraft Heading: The red pole is fixed to the aircraft at a relative bearing of 070° (meaning it is always 70° to the right of the aircraft’s nose).
  • To find the required heading, use the relationship:
    • Magnetic Bearing of Pole = Aircraft Magnetic Heading Relative Bearing of Pole
    • 090° = Heading 070°
    • Heading = 090° – 070°
    • Heading = 020°
  • Conclusion: When the aircraft is on a heading of 020°, the red pole (situated 70° to the right) is positioned due East (090° Magnetic), pushing the North-seeking needle to the West and causing maximum Westerly deviation due to Hard iron magnetism.

Q7. Coefficient B, as used in aircraft magnetism, presents

Correct answer is – A value representing the deviation registered on headings East and West

Q8. Compass deviation is defined as the angle between:

Correct answer is – Magnetic North and Compass North

Q9. Compass swings should be carried out:

only on the compass swinging base or site (

  • Requirement: The environment must be free of external magnetic interference (underground cables, rebar, other aircraft).
  • Location: Designated Compass Swing Bases are certified free of such interference.

)

Q10. Consider the following statements on coefficient A, as used to describe deviation:

Correct answer is – All 3 answers are correct

Q11. Deviation applied to magnetic heading gives:

Correct answer is – compass heading

Q12. Deviation applied to magnetic heading gives:

compass heading (

  • Formula: Compass + Deviation = Magnetic.
  • Re-arrangement: Applying deviation to Magnetic yields Compass (calculating backwards from the chart to the cockpit).

)

Q13. Deviation due to coefficient A is mainly caused by:

a misaligned lubber line (

  • Coefficient A: Constant error on all headings.
  • Mechanical Cause: Often due to the instrument being installed crookedly (Lubber line not aligned with longitudinal axis).

)

Q14. Deviation on MH 180 is -5 and on MH 000 it is +3. Calculate coefficient C:

The correct answer is b) Coefficient C = +4.

  • Concept: Coefficient C acts along the lateral axis, producing maximum deviation on North and South headings.
  • Given Values: Deviation on North = +3, Deviation on South = -5.
  • Formula: Coefficient C = (Deviation on North – Deviation on South) ÷ 2
  • Calculation: (+3 – (-5)) ÷ 2 = 8 ÷ 2 = +4

Q15. Hard iron magnetism in aircraft

Correct answer is – Is permanent of nature

Q16. Hard iron magnetism in aircraft may be caused by

Correct answer is – All 3 answers are correct

Q17. If the total force of the earth’s field at a point is T and the horizontal and vertical components H and Z, the value of H is found by the formula:

H=T cos dip (

  • Trigonometry: H is the adjacent side to the Dip angle. T is the hypotenuse.
  • Formula: H = T times cos(Dip).

)

Q18. In discussing parameters P, Q and R of aircraft hard iron magnetism

The correct answer is a) -Q indicates a blue pole in the left wing.

Here is the breakdown of the aircraft hard-iron magnetism components (P, Q, and R) based on the sources, which explains why only statement (a) is correct:

  • Component P (Longitudinal): This represents the hard-iron magnetism acting along the fore-and-aft axis of the aircraft. By convention, a P component indicates that the blue pole is forward (in the nose), not a red pole.
  • Component Q (Lateral): This represents the magnetism acting along the wing-tip to wing-tip axis. A Q component means the blue pole is to starboard (the right wing). When the polarity is reversed to -Q, it means the blue pole is to port (the left wing), making statement (a) correct.
  • Component R (Vertical): This represents the magnetism acting vertically through the aircraft. A R component indicates that the blue pole is beneath the compass, not a red pole.

Because statements b and c describe the opposite polarities for their respective positive components, they are incorrect.

Q19. In the calculation of deviation, the following headings are recorded: MH CH 358 356 091 087 182 186 273 271 Coefficient A is

Correct answer is – +1. Using the data provided:

  • North: MH 358° – CH 356° = +2° (Easterly)
  • East: MH 091° – CH 087° = +4° (Easterly)
  • South: MH 182° – CH 186° = -4° (Westerly)
  • West: MH 273° – CH 271° = +2° (Easterly)
  • Step 2: Sum the deviations algebraically. Add the calculated deviations from the four headings together: (+2) + (+4) + (-4) + (+2) = +4
  • Step 3: Calculate the average. Divide the total sum by the number of observations (which is 4) to find Coefficient A: +4 ÷ 4 = +1

Therefore, Coefficient A is +1, exactly matching the correct answer from your query.

Q20. In the calculation of deviation, the following headings are recorded: MH CH 358 356 091 087 182 186 273 271 Coefficient B is

Correct answer is – +1

  • Step 1: Calculate the deviation for the East and West headings. Deviation is the angular difference between the Magnetic Heading (MH) and the Compass Heading (CH), calculated as Deviation = MH – CH. Positive values indicate Easterly deviation, while negative values indicate Westerly deviation. Using the data provided in your query:
    • East: MH 091° – CH 087° = +4° (Easterly)
    • West: MH 273° – CH 271° = +2° (Easterly)
  • Step 2: Apply the formula for Coefficient B. Coefficient B is calculated by taking half the algebraic difference between the deviations on the East and West compass headings. The formula is: Coefficient B = (Deviation on East – Deviation on West) ÷ 2.
  • Step 3: Perform the calculation.
    • Coefficient B = (+4 – (+2)) ÷ 2
    • Coefficient B = (+4 – 2) ÷ 2
    • Coefficient B = 2 ÷ 2
    • Coefficient B = +1

Therefore, Coefficient B is +1.

Q21. In the calculation of deviation, the following headings are recorded: MH CH 358 356 091 087 182 186 273 271 Coefficient C is

  • Step 1: Calculate the deviation for the North and South headings. Deviation is the difference between the Magnetic Heading (MH) and the Compass Heading (CH), calculated as Deviation = MH – CH. Using the data provided:
    • North: MH 358° – CH 356° = +2° (Easterly)
    • South: MH 182° – CH 186° = -4° (Westerly)
  • Step 2: Apply the formula for Coefficient C. Coefficient C is calculated by taking half the algebraic difference between the deviations on the North and South compass headings. The formula is: Coefficient C = (Deviation on North – Deviation on South) ÷ 2
  • Step 3: Perform the calculation.
    • Coefficient C = (+2 – (-4)) ÷ 2
    • Coefficient C = (+2 + 4) ÷ 2
    • Coefficient C = 6 ÷ 2
    • Coefficient C = +3

Therefore, the correct answer for Coefficient C is +3.

Q22. Magnetic compass swinging is carried out to reduce as much as possible:

deviation. (

  • Object: We cannot change Variation (Earth) or Acceleration errors (Physics).
  • Target: We swing the compass to measure and nullify Deviation caused by the aircraft’s metal.

)

Q23. Permanent magnetism in aircraft arises chiefly from:

Correct answer is – hammering, and the effect of the earth’s magnetic field, whilst under construction

Q24. Soft iron is comparatively ……. to magnetize whilst hard iron is ……. to demagnetize.

easy; difficult (

  • Properties: Soft Iron (High permeability, low retentivity) magnetizes easily but loses it easily.
  • Hard Iron (Low permeability, high retentivity) is hard to magnetize but hard (difficult) to demagnetize.

)

Q25. Soft iron magnetism in aircraft

Correct answer is – Is non-permanent of nature, and cannot be reduced by de-gaussing (de-magnetisation)

Q26. The aim of a compass swing is: (1. find deviation/coeffs, 2. eliminate coeffs, 3. record residual)

answers 1, 2 and 3 are all correct (

  • Procedure: First, measure the error (1). Second, adjust magnets to remove it (2). Third, record whatever error remains on the card (3).

)

Q27. The angle between Magnetic North and Compass North is called:

Correct answer is – compass deviation

Q28. The compass heading can be derived from the magnetic heading by reference to a:

deviation correction card / curve (

  • Relationship: Compass to Magnetic requires Deviation.
  • Source: Deviation is recorded for the specific aircraft on a Deviation Card located near the compass.

)

Q29. The deviation of a compass is described as +4. This means that

Correct answer is – The compass heading will have a lower number in degrees than the magnetic heading

Q30. The deviation will change with a change in aircraft heading

Correct answer is – Because the undesired magnetic pole then is moved relative to the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field

Q31. The magnetic force causing compass deviation will be a force in direction

Correct answer is – Perpendicular to the compass needle

Q32. The main requirements of a direct reading magnetic compass are that it should be:

aperiodic, horizontal, sensitive (

  • Specs: Aperiodic (does not oscillate/dead beat), Horizontal (to allow card rotation), Sensitive (reacts to weak Earth field).

)

Q33. The maximum permissible deviations after compensation are:

one degree for a remote indicating compass, and ten degrees for a direct reading magnetic compass (

  • Standards: Remote systems (flux valves) are precise (pm 1^{circ}). Standby/Direct compasses are allowed larger tolerances (pm 10^{circ} residual deviation is the limit cited here, though practical limits are often tighter, e.g., 3-5 degrees).

)

Q34. The purpose of a compass swing is to?

Align compass north with magnetic north. (

  • Goal: To make the compass reading match the actual magnetic heading as closely as possible.
  • Process: This involves adjusting compensator magnets to remove deviation, effectively aligning Compass North with Magnetic North.

)

Q35. The quadrantal deviation of the magnetic compass is due to the action of:

the soft iron pieces influenced by the geomagnetic field. (

  • Coefficient D: Quadrantal deviation.
  • Cause: Induced magnetism in horizontal Soft Iron (induced by the Earth’s field).

)

Q36. When an aircraft is moved to a place of lower magnetic latitude

Correct answer is – The deviation values will decrease because the horizontal component of the terrestrial field is becoming stronger

Q37. Which of the following is an occasion for carrying out a compass swing on a Direct Reading Compass?

After an aircraft has passed through a severe electrical storm, or has been struck by lightning (

  • Event: Lightning strikes involve massive currents.
  • Effect: This can instantly magnetize the aircraft’s steel structure (Hard Iron), drastically altering the deviation. Immediate swing is required.

)

Q38. Which of the following will probably NOT result in a deviation change on a DRC

Correct answer is – Turning the ADF on in flight

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