Thread: Confusing problem ELPP again

A reconnaissance airplane leaves its airport on the east coast of the United States and flies in a direction of 85 degrees. Because of bad weather it returns to another airport 230km to the north of its home base. For the return it flies in a direction of 283 degrees. What is the total distance flown?

I dont know the diagram ... & i dunt undersand T_T

Originally Posted by ^_^Engineer_Adam^_^

Because of bad weather it returns to another airport 230km to the north of its home base. For the return it flies in a direction of 283 degrees. What is the total

I understand the question until this part...
The other airport must not be directly north of the home base...

Hello, ^_^Engineer_Adam^_^!

Sorry, I don't understand the problem . . . are there typos?

A reconnaissance airplane leaves its airport and flies in a direction of 85°.
Because of bad weather, it returns to another airport 230km to the north of its home base.
For the return, it flies in a direction of 283 degrees.
What is the total distance flown?

I assume that a direction of 85° is a bearing, measured CW from North.

So the plane flies from to .

Code:

      :
      :
      :                 o B
      :           *
      : 85° *
    A o

Then it flies to airport , 230 km to the north of (but not directly north).

Code:

                C
                o
               *  *
              *    *
             *      *
        230 *        *
           *          *
          *            *
         *              o B
        *         *
       *    *
    A o

The return is . . . in a southwesterly direction.

But we are told that the return is at a heading of 285°,
. . which is to the northwest . . . ??

Originally Posted by ^_^Engineer_Adam^_^

A reconnaissance airplane leaves its airport on the east coast of the United States and flies in a direction of 85 degrees. Because of bad weather it returns to another airport 230km to the north of its home base. For the return it flies in a direction of 283 degrees. What is the total distance flown?

I dont know the diagram ... & i dunt undersand T_T

Hello,

I've attached a diagram to show you what I've calcualted.

With your triangle ABC you know the length of AC = 230 km. You can calculate from the given bearings the angles in the triangle: 85°, 18° and 77°.

Now use the Sine rule.


Solve for AB and BC.
The total length flown by the plane ist AB + BC. I got 1466.7 km.

Greetings

EB

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ^_^Engineer_Adam^_^

Thanks!

Smiley abuse !
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