Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

A tailless aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane without a horizontal stabilizing surface. With this type of aircraft, the functions of longitudinal stability and control are incorporated into the main wing. A tailless airplane is one where everything needed to fly, like lift, control, and stability, is built into the main wing.

Tail

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

Pilot Institute

JULY 11, 2025

When you reach around 36,000 feet (11,000 m) near the tropopause, the temperature stabilizes at around -56.5 °C. 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.

True Airspeed

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.

Torque