Aircraft Electrical System

1. If several long lengths of electrical cable are to be installed in rigid conduit, the
possibility of damage to the cable as it is pulled through the conduit will be reduced by
________.

Answer: B.) dusting the cable with powdered soapstone.

2. Aluminum wire must be stripped very carefully because _______

Answer: C.) Individual strands will break easily after being nicked.

3. What is an important factor in selecting aircraft fuses?

Answer: C.) Capacity matches the needs of the circuit

4. AN/MS Electrical connectors are specifically designed to meet ________

Answer: B.) military specifications

5. During inspection of the terminal strips of an Aircraft Electrical System, it should be

determined that ________

Answer: B.) the terminal studs are anchored against rotation.

6. If a wire is installed so that it comes in contact with some moving parts, what protection
should be given the wire?

Answer: C.) Pass through conduit

7. The primary considerations when selecting electric cable size are

Answer: A.) current-carrying capacity and allowable voltage drop

8. For general electrical use in aircraft, the acceptable method of attaching a terminal to
wire is by _______.

Answer: A.) crimping

9. A series-wound DC electric motor will normally require ________

 Answer: C.) more current at low RPM than at high RPM
10. Bonding connections should be tested for _______

Answer: A.) Resistance value

11. How does magnetic brake used to stop rotation of an electric motor armature operate?

Answer: C.) A friction brake is applied by a spring and released by a magnet.

12. In an AC circuit with no phase lead or lag, which is true?

Answer: C.) Real power equals apparent power

13. Which of the following is not one of the purposes of interpoles in a generator?

Answer: A.) reduce field strength

14. Circuits that must be operated only in an emergency or whose inadvertent activation
could endanger a system frequently employ ________

Answer: A.) guarded switches

15. In Aircraft Electrical Systems, automatic reset circuit breakers _______.

Answer: A.) Should not be used as circuit protective devices

16. Which type of DC generator is not used as an airplane generator?

Answer: B.) Series Wound

17. Major adjustment on equipment such as regulators, contactors, and inverters are best
accomplished outside the airplane on test benches with necessary instruments and
equipment. Adjustment procedure should be as outlined by _______.

Answer: A.) the equipment manufacturer

18. The inductor-type inverter output voltage is controlled by the ________.

Answer: C.) DC stator field current

19. Static inverters are electronic devices that change DC to AC with the _______

Answer: A.) use of an oscillator

20. How is a shunt-wound dc generator connected?

Answer: B.) both fields are shunted across the armature.

21. The overvoltage control automatically protects the generator system when excessive
voltage is present by _______.

Answer: A.) opening the shunt field circuit

22. A circuit breaker is installed in an aircraft electrical system primarily to protect the
_______.

Answer: A.) Circuit and should be located as close to the source as possible.

23. An aircraft electrical system control relay is _______.

Answer: A.) an electronically operated switch

24. Electric wiring installed in aircraft without special enclosing means (open wiring) offers
the advantages of ease of installation, simple maintenance, and reduced weight. When
building open wiring, the bundles should _______.

Answer: A.) be limited as to the number of cables to minimize damage from a single
electrical fault.

25. A battery-generator system provides direct current. On installations requiring alternating

current from the battery-generator system, it is necessary to have _______.

Answer: B.) an inverter

26. The strength of the core of an electromagnet depends upon the material from which it is
constructed and which of the following?

Answer: B.) The number of turns of wire in the coil and amount of current
(amperes) passing through the coil.

27. Grounding is electrically connecting a conductive object to the primary structure. One
purpose of grounding is to ________.

Answer: C.) prevent development of radio frequency potentials.

28. If it is necessary to use an electrical connector where it may be exposed to moisture, the
mechanic should ________.

Answer: B.) use a special moisture-proof type

29. The method most often used in overcoming the effect of armature reaction is through the
use of _______.

Answer: A.) interpoles

30. To what depth is the mica insulation between the commutator bars of a DC generator
undercut?

Answer: C.) Equal to the width of the mica

31. A CSD unit that is disconnected in flight, due to a malfunction such as over-temperature,
may be reconnected ________.

Answer: C.) only on the ground by maintenance personnel.

32. If the (+) terminal of a voltmeter is connected to the (-) terminal of the source voltage and
the (-) terminal of the meter is connected to the (+) terminal of the source voltage, the
voltmeter will read _______.

Answer: C.) backwards

33. What does a rectifier do?

Answer: B.) Changes alternating current into direct current

34. A circuit protection device called a current limiter is essentially a slow-blow fuse and is
designed to be used in _______.

Answer: B.) heavy power circuits

35. If anyone generator in a 24-volt DC system shows low voltage, the most likely cause is
________.

Answer: A.) an out-of-adjustment voltage regulator

36. What is the purpose of the selection of derated switches for known continuous load
current applications?

Answer: C.) To obtain reasonable switch efficiency and service life

37. What is the frequency of an alternator dependent upon?

Answer: B.) RPM

38. Which of the following copper electrical cable sizes should be selected to replace a No. 6
aluminum Electrical cable?

Answer: B.) No. 6

39. The voltage in an AC transformer secondary that contains twice as many loops as the
primary will be _______.

Answer: A.) greater and the amperage less than in the primary.

40. When adding a rheostat to a light circuit to control the light intensity, it should be
connected in ________.

Answer: B.) Series with the light

41. The starting current of a series-wound DC motor, in passing through both the field and
armature windings, produces a ______.

Answer: C.) high starting torque.

42. If one switch is used to control all navigation lights, the lights are most likely connected
________.

Answer: C.) parallel to each other and in series with the switch
43. (Refer to figure 19) Upon completion of the landing gear extension cycle, the green light
illuminated and the red light remained lit. What is the probable cause?

Answer: C.) Short in the lineup limit switch

44. When necessary during operation, CSD disconnect is usually accomplished by ________.

Answer: A.) A switch in the cockpit

45. What is the most accurate type of frequency-measuring instrument?

Answer: A.) Integrated circuit chip having a clock circuit

46. In installations where the ammeter is in the generator or alternator lead, and the regulator
system does not limit the maximum current that the generator or alternator can deliver,
the ammeter can be redlined at what percent of the generator or alternator rating?

Answer: C.) 100

47. Aircraft fuse capacity is rated in _______.

Answer: C.) Amperes

48. The most common method of attaching a pin or socket to an individual wire in an MS
electrical connector is by ______.

Answer: A.) Crimping

49. Integrated Drive Generators (IDG) employ a type of high output AC generator that
utilizes ______.

Answer: C.) a brushless system to produce current

50. Oil canning of the sides of aluminum or steel electrical junction boxes is considered to be
________.

Answer: B.) A shorting hazard

51. The commutator of a generator _______.

Answer: B.) changes alternating current produced in the armature into direct
current as it is taken from the armature

52. What is required when operating two aircraft AC generators in parallel?\

Answer: B.) Frequency and voltage must both be equal

53. What is the maximum amount of time a circuit can be in operation and still be an
intermittent duty circuit?

Answer: B.) Two minutes

54. A certain switch is described as single-pole, double-throw switch (SPDT). The throw of a
switch indicates the number of ________

Answer: A.) circuits each pole can complete through the switch.

55. An ammeter in a battery charging system is for the purpose of indicating the _______.

Answer: C.) Rate of current used to charge the battery

56. What is method used for restoring generator field residual magnetism?

Answer: A.) Flash the fields

57. The pole pieces or shoes used in a DC generator are a part of the _________.

Answer: B.) field assembly

58. Residual voltage is a result of magnetism in the ________.

Answer: B.) field shoes

59. If the Integrated Drive Generator (IDG) scavenge oil filter is contaminated with metal,
you should ________.

Answer: B.) remove and replace the IDG

60. When considering an alteration, the criteria upon which the selection of electric cable size
should be based are _________.

Answer: B.) current-carrying capacity and allowable voltage drop.

61. Which motor would be most likely to have an armature brake?

Answer: B.) Landing Light Retraction Motor

62. Which of the following are the major parts of a DC motor?

1. Armature assembly
2. Field assembly
3. Brush assembly
4. Commutator
5. Pole piece
6. Rheostat
7. End frame

Answer: A.) 1, 2, 3, 7

63. What is the advantage of a circuit breaker when compared to a fuse?

Answer: Resettable and reusable

64. What kind of switch should you install in a single wire circuit that required the switch to
be manually held in the ON position?

Answer: A.) Single-pole, Single-throw (SPST), Two-position Normally Open (NO)

65. The three kinds of circuit-protection devices used most commonly in aircraft circuits are
_________.

Answer: B.) circuit breakers, fuses and current limiters

66. In the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system of numbers used to designate electrical wire
sizes, the number assigned to a size is related to its _________.

Answer: C.) cross-sectional area

67. When selecting hardware for attaching bonding connections to an aircraft structure,
which of the following should be considered?
1. Mechanical strength
2. Allowable power loss
3. Ease of installation
4. Permissible voltage drop
5. Amount of current to be carried
6. Type of load (Continuous or intermittent)

Answer: A.) 1, 3 and 5

68. When approved, splices may be used to repair manufactured harnesses or installed
wiring. The maximum number of splices permitted between any two connector is

Answer: A.) one

69. What is the color and orientation of the position lights for navigation on civil airplanes?

Answer: B.) Left side – red, right side – green, rear aft – white

70. What is the voltage drop for a No. 18 copper wire 50 feet long to carry 12.5 amperes,
continuous operation?
Use the formula VD = RLA
VD = Voltage Drop
R = Resistance per ft = 0.0064
L = Length of wire
A = Amperes

Answer: C.) 4V

71. How many cycles of AC voltage are produced in a six-pole alternator of the revolving-
field type for each revolution of the rotor?

Answer: B.) Three

72. The major advantages of alternating current (AC) over direct current (DC) is the fact that
its current and voltage can easily be increased or decreased ________.

Answer: C.) by means of a transformer

73. A CSD unit drives a generator through the use of ________.

Answer: C.) A variable hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor

74. In troubleshooting an electrical circuit, if an ohmmeter is properly connected across a

circuit component and some value of resistance is read,

Answer: C.) the component has continuity and is not open.

75. The nominal rating of electrical switches refers to continuous _________.

Answer: C.) current rating with the contacts closed.

76. Which of the following is most likely to cause thermal runway in a nickel-cadmium
battery?

Answer: B.) Excessive current draw from the battery

77. One purpose of a growler test is to determine the presence of ________.

Answer: C.) a shorted armature.

78. Which of the following must be accomplished when installing an anti-collision light?

Answer: A.) Install a switch independent of the position light switch

79. One advantage of using AC electrical power in aircraft is _________.

Answer: B.) greater ease in stepping the voltage up or down

80. How does the routing of coaxial cable differ from the routing of electrical wiring?

Answer: C.) Coaxial cables are routed as directly as possible

81. CSD driven generators are usually cooled by _________.

Answered: A.) Oil Spray

82. How can it be determined if a transformer winding has some of its turns shorted together?

Answer: C.) The transformer will get hot in normal operation

83. Aircraft which operate only AC generators (alternators) as a primary source of electrical
power normally provide current suitable for battery charging through the use of _______

Answer: A.) a stepdown transformer and a rectifier

84. What is the advantage of a current limiters?

Answer: C.) It will take overload for a short period

85. When DC generators are operated in parallel to supply power for a single load, their
controls include an equalizer circuit to assure that all generators share the load equally.
The equalizer circuits operates by ________.

Answer: C.) increasing the output of the low generator and decreasing the output of
the high generator until they are equal.

86. The navigation lights of some aircraft consists of a single circuit controlled by a single
switch which has an ON position and OFF position, with no additional positions possible.
This switch is referred to as a ________

Answer: C.) Single-Pole, Single-Throw (SPST), two-position switch

87. Which statement relating to electric wiring is true?

Answer: B.) when attaching a terminal to the end of an electric cable, it should be
determined that the strength of the cable-to-terminal joint is at least equal to the
tensile strength of the cable itself.

88. (Refer to figure 18) Which of the batteries are connected together incorrectly?

Answer: C.) 3
89. The purpose of a rectifier in an electrical system is to change ________

Answer: C.) alternating current to direct current

90. If the positive field lead between a generator and a generator control panel breaks and is
shortened while the engine is running, a voltmeter connected to generator output would
indicate ________.

Answer: B.) residual voltage

91. What type of instrument is used for measuring very high values of resistance?

Answer: A.) Megohmmeter

92. During inspection of an anticollision light installation for condition and proper operation,
it should be determined that _______.

Answer: C.) the anticollision light can be operated independently of the position
lights.

93. To help minimize radio interference a capacitor will largely eliminate and provide a
steady direct current if the capacitor is connected to the generator in ________.

Answer: A.) Parallel

94. How are generators rated?

Answer: B.) Amperes at rated voltage

95. The pin section of an AN/MS connector is normally installed on _______.

Answer: B.) the ground side of a circuit

96. If a generator is equipped with a vibrator-type voltage regulator, the actual time the
voltage regulator points remain open

Answer: A.) depends on the load carried by the generator

97. A voltage regulator controls generator output by ________

Answer: C.) varying current flow to generator field coil

98. When using the voltage drop method of checking circuit resistance, the _______

Answer: input voltage must be maintained at a constant value

99. How should a voltmeter connected?

Answer: B.) In parallel with the load

100. The only practical method of maintaining a constant voltage output from an aircraft
generator under varying conditions of speed and load is to vary the ________.

Answer: A.) strength of the magnetic field

101. (1) There are three basic types of DC motors; series, hunt and compound.
(2) In the series motor, the field windings, consisting of relatively few turns of heavy
wire, are connected in series with the armature winding.
Regarding the above statements,

Answer: C.) both No. 1 and No. 2 are true

102. What is cause of generator brush arcing?

Answer: C.) Low spring tension

103. The most common method of regulating the voltage output of a compound DC generator
is to vary the _______.

Answer: A.) current flowing through the shunt field coils

104. When handling a high voltage capacitor in an electrical circuit, be sure it ________.

Answer: C.) is fully discharged before removing it from circuit.

105. During ground operation, aircraft generator cooling is usually accomplished by ______.

Answer: B.) an integral fan

106. A voltage regulator controls generator voltage by changing the _________.

Answer: C.) resistance of the generator field circuit

107. In a generator, what eliminates any possible sparking to the brush guides caused by the
movement of the brushes within the holder?

Answer: A.) The brush pigtail

108. Electric wire terminals for most aircraft application must be what type?

Answer: C.) Ring

109. The type of electric wire terminals used for most aircraft applications, In addition to
providing good current carrying capabilities, are designed primarily ________.

Answer: A.) to prevent circuit failure due to terminal disconnection

110. Electric circuits are protected from overheating by means of _________

Answer: C.) Fuses

111. To test generator or motor armature windings for opens

Answer: A.) place armature in a growler and connect 110V test light on adjacent
segments; light should light.

112. Some electric motors have two sets of field windings wound in opposite directions so
that the ________.

Answer: C.) Motor can be operated in either direction

113. Which of the following should be accomplished in the installation of aircraft wiring?

Answer: Locate the bundle above flammable fluid lines and securely clamp to
structure

114. When using an ohmmeter to check the continuity of generator field coil, the coil should
__________.

Answer: C.) Show very low resistance if it is a series field coil

115. The generator rating is usually found stamped on the

Answer: B.) Generator

116. If the reverse current output relay contact points fail to open after the generator output
has dropped below battery potential, current will flow through the generator armature

Answer: opposite the normal direction and through the shunt field in the normal
direction

117. What protection to wires and cables conduit provide when used in aircraft installations?

Answer: B.) Mechanical

118. Why are the iron cores of most induction coils laminated?

Answer: To reduce the effects of eddy currents

119. How can the direction of rotation of a DC electric motor can be changed?

Answer: B.) Reverse the electrical connections to either the field or armature
windings

120. Which of the following factors must be taken into consideration when determining the
wire size to use for an aircraft installation?
1. Mechanical strength
2. Allowable power loss
3. Ease of installation
4. Resistance of current return path through the aircraft structure
5. Permissible voltage drop
6. Current carrying capability of the conductor
7. Type of load (continuous or intermittent)

Answer: A.) 2, 5, 6 and 7

121. What is the principal advantage of the series-wound DC motor?

Answer: A.) High starting torque

122. What is normally used to bond non-continuous stainless steel aircraft components?

Answer: B.) copper jumpers

123. The voltage output of an alternator may be regulated by controlling the _________.

Answer: B.) voltage output of the DC exciter

124. The circuit breaker in the Instrument Lighting System protects the ________.

Answer: B.) Wiring from too much current

125. How should the splices be arranged if several are to be located in an electrical wire
bundle?

Answer: A.) Staggered along the length of the bundle

126. When a diode is checked for an open circuit or a short circuit, it should be _______.

Answer: C.) disconnected from the circuit

127. Where electric cables must pass through holes in bulkheads, formers, ribs, firewalls,
etc.., the wires should be protected from chafing by _______.

Answer: B.) using a suitable grommet

128. The poles of a generator are laminated to _________.

Answer: C.) reduce eddy current loss

129. Certain transport aircraft use AC electrical power for all normal operation and battery
furnished DC electrical power for standby emergency use. In aircraft of this type that
operate no DC generators, the batteries are kept charged by ________.

Answer: C.) Rectifiers which use the aircraft’s AC generators as a source of power

130. What is the ratio of turns between the primary coil winding and the secondary coil
winding of a transformer designed to triple its input voltage?

Answer: Primary will have one-third as many turns as its secondary

131. What is the minimum bend radius for an electrical wire bundle?

Answer: A.) Ten times the outside diameter of the bundle

132. Aircraft electrical junction boxes located in a fire zone are usually constructed of
________.

Answer: C.) Stainless steel