article thumbnail

Examining over 100 years of flight automation and the history of the autopilot

Aerotime

His system would provide an aircraft with automatic stability and control mechanism, through the control of the ailerons, stabilizer, and tail rudder through the use of a set of simple gyroscopes. As the French mechanic slid himself along the wing of the aircraft, shifting its center of gravity, the aircraft became unbalanced.

article thumbnail

Chord Line in Aviation? What It Is and Why It Is Important

Pilot Institute

Center of Gravity: Used to calculate and balance the aircraft’s center of gravity. Wing Control: Flaps, slats, and ailerons change the chord line, impacting lift and control. The Chord Line and Centre of Gravity The chord line provides another useful feature for aircraft designers, engineers, and pilots.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Everything You Need To Know About Ailerons

Pilot Institute

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?

article thumbnail

Tailless Aircraft: How Airplanes Fly Without a Tail

Pilot Institute

The Weather Vane It mostly comes from the vertical stabilizer (fin) and the sides of the fuselage behind the center of gravity. The reflexed shape of the airfoil usually causes a positive (nose-up) pitching moment coefficient at its aerodynamic center. They combine the functions of elevators and ailerons.

article thumbnail

The Role of Newton’s Third Law in Aviation

Pilot Institute

Lets break down the main control surfaces and how they use action-reaction: Ailerons Ailerons are flaps placed on the wings trailing edges. They work in opposite pairs: when one aileron goes up, the other goes down. The raised aileron on the right wing deflects airflow upward ( action ). It provides yaw control.

article thumbnail

We Fly: Epic E1000 AX

Flying Magazine

Over the years we’ve flown a lot of aircraft with “aft-tending” centers of gravity—if you filled the seats, you were outside the aft CG limit, and the rear seats in six-place airplanes were unusable. Preflight is conventional and gives one an opportunity to look at the excellent fit and finish of the airframe.

article thumbnail

Approachable Excellence

Plane and Pilot

Depressions in the vertical stabilizer and rudder, as well as stabilator skins and ailerons, all help increase panel stiffness while allowing less under-skin structure. The exterior strakes on the belly add strength without complicating the under-floor structure.