Under Amelia's Wing by Heather Stemp

Author:Heather Stemp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nimbus
Published: 2020-10-22T12:47:25+00:00

Chapter 18

Good News

Our end-of-semester exams began on a cold, blustery Wednesday. Lead-coloured clouds rolled across the sky. Wet snow clung to tree branches and I wore my sealskin boots for the first time since arriving in Indiana.

Most students were nervous about the exams, but not me. This was my chance to prove to Professor Jones that I belonged in his class. Mabel, Matt, Jamie, Jack, and I had studied hard, mostly in the library. We made up a schedule and took breaks at the same time. Then we walked to the Union Building for coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. The boys walked us back to the Women’s Residence when we were too tired to study any more.

I wrote the English exam first and found it easy. By predicting which questions would be asked and studying the answers, I had been well prepared.

Professor Jones’s practical exam was given at the Michael Golden Shops on the last day of classes but the written exam was the day after English. I worked even harder for that one. Jamie, Jack, and I walked together to our regular classroom. Professor Jones stood behind the counter at the front and greeted the boys as they arrived. Jamie and Jack got a nod, but he didn’t look at me. We took our usual seats, which meant it was quiet back where I was.

The exam was sitting face down on our desks, with a note on the blackboard telling us to wait for directions before turning it over. Some of the boys tried to read the questions through the back of the paper, but I was content to wait. I knew the work and I looked forward to proving it.

“Nine o’clock, gentlemen,” Professor Jones announced. “You may begin.”

I took a deep breath, turned over my paper, and scanned the whole exam before I started. I smiled at what I saw and then circled back to the first question:

1. Given the choice between a turbocharger and a supercharger, which would you choose for higher altitude flights? Justify your answer.

Let’s see, I said to myself. Both turbochargers and superchargers increase power and efficiency. So, the key must be the higher altitude. Both use air compressors to send oxygen-rich intake air to the engine, so why would one be preferable to the other? It must be what powers the compressor; a turbocharger uses hot engine exhaust while a supercharger uses a geared mechanism driven off the crankshaft. Altitude wouldn’t affect a geared mechanism, but at higher altitudes the hot exhaust gases would expand more in the thinner air. So, the turbocharger would supply more power to the turbine!

I scribbled my answer, fully explaining my thought process, and sat back to see Professor Jones staring at me from the front of the room. Was he trying to intimidate me? If so, it wouldn’t work. The exam was just what I’d expected. I rubbed my hands together. On to question two.

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