Pilot Institute
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
At first glance, ailerons look like ordinary hinged panels on the wings, but don’t be fooledthey’re important for keeping an aircraft both stable and maneuverable. But theres much more to ailerons than just rolling left or right. Or how do modern airplanes reduce dangerous effects like aileron flutter or adverse yaw?
Pilot Institute
FEBRUARY 9, 2025
Wing Control: Flaps, slats, and ailerons change the chord line, impacting lift and control. The Difference Between a Chord Line and a Camber Line The chord line is a straight line that crosses the leading and trailing edges of the airfoil. The mean camber line is drawn halfway between the upper and lower surfaces.
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Pilot Institute
JUNE 4, 2025
Elevons and Control Surfaces An ingenious solution is to combine the elevator and aileron, which gives you: the elevon. They combine the functions of elevators and ailerons. Theyre typically installed on each side of the aircraft at the trailing edge of the wing, where the ailerons typically are. Why design an aircraft this way?
Pilot Institute
JULY 11, 2025
For most aircraft with highly cambered wings or thick profiles, airflow accelerates over the top of the wing. Ailerons can suffer from a phenomenon called “aileron buzz” or control reversal at high Mach. So you might be flying at, say, Mach 0.85 It’s not just the tail that experiences control issues.
Pilot Institute
APRIL 12, 2025
One is the upper wing surfaces curvature compared to the lower surface, called wing camber. High camber generally promotes more airflow deflection, thanks to something called Bernoullis Principle. However, its even possible to generate lift from a wing with symmetrical upper and lower surfaces, that is, without camber.
Pilot Institute
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
The lift and drag imbalance between the left and right ailerons creates adverse yaw. The changes in aerodynamic forces that occur during aileron deflection cause adverse yaw. When an aircraft rolls, the ailerons travel in opposite directions. In a right-hand turn, the right aileron is raised, and the left aileron is lowered.
Pilot Institute
FEBRUARY 9, 2025
Wing Control: Flaps, slats, and ailerons change the chord line, impacting lift and control. The Difference Between a Chord Line and a Camber Line The chord line is a straight line that crosses the leading and trailing edges of the airfoil. The mean camber line is drawn halfway between the upper and lower surfaces.
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