Pilot's Life Blog

MARCH 15, 2024

Below are other critical pieces of the wings that help give the plane additional lift, reduce drag, or achieve lower speeds in preparation for landing: Ailerons: A French word meaning “fin” or “little wing,” the aileron helps control the airplane’s roll. What are the basic parts of this section?

Horizontal Stabilizer 52

Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

As air flows over it, a force like lift results, and the tail is pulled in the opposite direction of the deflection. But instead of an upward force of lift on a wing, it’s a horizontal force pushing the tail of the plane causing the nose of the plane to move left and right. This is called adverse yaw. Just something to be aware of!

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

And ice doesn’t just make things slippery, it messes with the airflow over the wings, cuts down on lift, and ramps up drag. Remember that wings, propeller blades, and tail surfaces are airfoil-shaped. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. If you don’t act quickly, you’ll soon feel its effects.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

The reaction in the form of increased thrust allows the aircraft to overcome drag and accelerate or climb. Helicopters use a small rotor mounted on the tail that produces sideways thrust to counter the main rotors torque reaction. The tail rotor pushes air to one side ( action ), and the tail moves the other way ( reaction ).

Torque 52

Torque Lift Thrust Aileron 52

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 26, 2024

Photo copyright Russell Munson] On April 26th, 1964 a radial-powered biplane with wings and tail in Champion Yellow and Stearman Vermillion-painted fuselage took off from an airfield near Lumberton, NC. “The steel fuselage frame, tail surfaces, and landing gear have been repaired as needed, media blasted, and primed.

Airplanes 105

Airplanes Aileron Tail Hangar 105

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. What’s induced drag? Induced drag is the resistance that happens as a result of creating lift, caused by swirling air around the wings that slows the airplane down. The higher drag on the raised wing reduces its speed relative to the lower wing.

Stability 52

Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2024

Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position. Simultaneously, we apply ailerons opposite the rudder input. The ailerons control our lateral position over the runway. We use just enough aileron input to prevent the aircraft from drifting downwind. We call this de-crabbing.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

That required the creation of a redesigned, shorter span aileron that resulted in a markedly increased roll rate. In an airplane with a great deal of adverse aileron yaw that challenges a pilot each time the airplane makes a turn? The tail comes off the ground to a tail-low position and the airplane flies off at about 45 knots.

Gross Weight 84

Gross Weight Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Rudder 84

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Planespotters note the F2’s separate ailerons and flaps, conventional tail. But you can see the change to separate ailerons and flaps is just one part of preparing the F2 to grow into a four-place airplanebuying aerodynamic benefits now to spend later on a heavier, more powerful model. Well see about that.

Rudder 98

Rudder Airplanes Aileron Crosswind 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

True, a slightly higher aspect ratio wing was desired, which in turn required a larger vertical tail and thus a little extra mass, but the size, approximately 20% larger than a Widgeon, was set. The airfoil is a Harry Riblett shape, giving modernized flow separation on the leading edge for a soft stall yet with good lift and drag performance.

Airplanes 77

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 77

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Though renowned for its maneuverability, the Triplane struggled to pull away from the Camel, fighting against the fundamental drag of its triple tiered wings. In an effort to sidestep the Wright Brothers' patent on wing warping, Curtiss implemented ailerons as a practical solution for roll control that are still used by most modern aircraft.

Airplanes 60

Airplanes Runway Pilot Aileron 60