In the polar curve of a jet engine airplane, how are points arranged in order of increasing angle of attack?

The correct answer reflects the arrangement of points on a polar curve according to the angle of attack, which is an important concept in understanding aircraft performance. In the context of a jet engine airplane, the polar curve represents the relationship between lift and drag across different angles of attack.

As the angle of attack increases, typically the drag will also increase due to higher lift being generated until a point is reached where the airflow over the wing starts to separate, leading to stall. Therefore, the correct sequence should logically show the progression through different points as the angle of attack rises from low to high values.

In this case, the sequence "2, 5, 3, 4, 1" signifies a steady increase in the angle of attack—from a relatively low setting at point 2 and gradually moving to a higher angle of attack at point 1, which is often associated with stall conditions. Each of these points likely corresponds to specific characteristics of lift and drag at those respective angles of attack, aligning with the expected behavior as the angle increases.

Understanding how these angles correlate with performance characteristics is crucial for pilots and engineers to optimize flight operations and safety. Each point on the polar curve effectively tells a story about the aircraft’s aerodynamic properties at varying attack angles