Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

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.

Weight-Shift-Control 298

Weight-Shift-Control Cockpit Pilot Stability 298

Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

A tailless aircraft may still have a fuselage and a vertical tail (fin and rudder). The Weather Vane It mostly comes from the vertical stabilizer (fin) and the sides of the fuselage behind the center of gravity. This feature lets the aircraft’s center of gravity sit in front of the aerodynamic center.

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

Plane and Pilot

MAY 3, 2025

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. Piper sought other methods to make the Cherokee light and simple to build. To say that the PA-28 as a core design was successful vastly understates the case.

Approach 73

Approach Airplanes Stability Weight-Shift-Control 73

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward. An aft center of gravity increases flat spin risk. A flat spin happens when the center of gravity shifts too far aft (toward the tail), and the aircraft’s rotation becomes more horizontal. Ailerons: Neutral. Let’s get started!

Center of Gravity 98

Center of Gravity Weight-Shift-Control Aileron Rudder 98

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

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 ). This is where the rudder comes in.

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Plane and Pilot

MARCH 2, 2025

The Robin has a placard that reads: Rudder in fully opposed direction; Elevator control pulled fully back; Ailerons in neutral position. A hint of the Robins aerobatic pretensions might be the size of the rudder. You do need to apply a lot of right rudder on climbout, but if youre a tailwheel pilot, that should come naturally.

Rudder 80

Rudder Pilot Airplanes Center of Gravity 80