Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

A tailless aircraft may still have a fuselage and a vertical tail (fin and rudder). 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. The rudder allows you to make controlled yaw movements.

Tail 52

Tail Airplanes Weight-Shift-Control Drag 52

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?

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

The lift and drag imbalance between the left and right ailerons creates adverse yaw. A pilot can prevent adverse yaw by using rudder, and making sure that a turn is coordinated. In this situation, you must add the right rudder to correct for adverse yaw. When an aircraft rolls, the ailerons travel in opposite directions.

Aileron 52

Aileron Drag Rudder Lift 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

We correct for the overbanking tendency with aileron opposite the turn. The aileron on the right wing deflects down, increasing the camber and creating more lift. The left wing’s aileron deflects up, decreasing lift. We counteract adverse yaw by applying rudder in the direction of the turn.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

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.

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52