Designers minimize ingestion of contaminants by what approach related to slip-streams?

• A. Engineering slip-streams around the aircraft to carry contaminants around rather than into the inlet
• B. Using larger engines to push contaminants away
• C. Increasing wing sweep
• D. Shielding the inlet with protective baffles

Answer: (A)

Contaminant ingestion is reduced by shaping the air flow so the slip-stream around the aircraft carries debris away from the engine inlet. By engineering slip-streams that steer dirty air around the intake rather than into it, the engine experiences less contaminated air, improving compressor life and reducing maintenance concerns in dusty or debris-prone environments. This approach uses the aerodynamics of the moving air to divert contaminants before they reach the inlet. The other ideas don’t address how the slip-stream itself redirects contaminants: larger engines don’t change the path of incoming debris, wing sweep alters lift/drag rather than inlet contamination routing, and protective inlet baffles are a different defensive tactic not centered on slip-stream redirection.