Aircraft Control Surfaces and Components

An extension of a wing tip used to limit air from recirculating from the high pressure airflow below the wing to low pressure above the wing. This recirculation induces wing tip vortices and increases drag.

Point where weight of object is balanced

• Aircraft with positive _________ returns to steady flight after disturbance

• •Aircraft with positive stability returns to steady flight after disturbance

  •Maneuverability is an indication of an aircraft’s ability to handle the stress of maneuvers

  •Controllability is an indication of an aircraft’s ability to react to pilot inputs 

The orientation of an aircraft in relation to the horizon and other reference points, including pitch (nose up or down), roll (tilting left or right), and yaw (rotation left or right).

roll is controlled by the ailerons

pitch is controlled by the elevator

yaw is controlled by the rudder

• Left and right flaps lower

• Left aileron raises

• Right aileron lowers

• Flaps level lowered

Flaps are only used during takeoff and landing to increase lift at lower airspeed. Use of flaps at cruising speed would damage the wing.

Lower the elevator

To descent, the pilot reduces power and lowers the elevator to pitch down

To yaw the aircraft nose left, the rudder must deflect left.

The differences more than aestheic

Consider how a design affects lift and drag and other characteristics

• generates most lift

• improved pilot downward visibility

• high center of gravity

• pusher engine avoids introducing turbulence over wing

• Generates the least lift of the three

• generates list as a median between high and mid

• increased ground effect increases lift during takeoff

• limited pilot downward visibility

• Increased wing area generates more lift

• increased wing area generates more drag

• provide forward center of gravity

• improves pitch control

improves yaw control

• Three vertical stabilizers improve yaw control

• Could be needed to compensate for the limitation of other features

• Early versions of the design made it difficult for a pilot to control yaw

• Note the relative percentage of wing that is flap versus aileron.

• Rough field landing gear has smaller wheels to allow large shock absorbers

• Large shock absorbers

  • Absorb impact of a rough terrain

  • Propeller is above tall grass

• Soft field landing gear has large wheels to minimize sinking into terrain

Aircraft can be very large. The aircraft shown is a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The people shown in the image demonstrate the scale of the aircraft.

The Boeing 777 engine is so large that it dwarfs the pilot seated in the engine inlet.

Aircraft may be designed or modified to perform specialty functions. This example is a Boeing 747 modified to transport a space shuttle. The image above is of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour landing in Los Angeles in September, 2012.