Remove Aileron Remove Stability Remove Tail
article thumbnail

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

Aerotime

The 56 aircraft that participated in the 1914 competition presented a wide range of aviation innovations, ranging from assisted starting mechanisms, automatic carburetors, basic stabilization systems, and many other innovations that purported to benefit aviation safety.

article thumbnail

Tailless Aircraft: How Airplanes Fly Without a Tail

Pilot Institute

Have you ever seen an airplane with no tail and no vertical fin, but with just a sleek wing? They prove that with the right aerodynamic tricks, you dont need a tail to fly. A tailless aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane without a horizontal stabilizing surface. Directional (yawing) stability from the vertical stabilizer.

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

The American Heritage Museum’s Ambitious Ju 87 Stuka Project Gains Momentum

Vintage Aviation News

Image via Wikipedia Restoring the Airframe: Piece by Piece The hands-on structural rebuild is taking place in the Czech Republic, where the focus so far has been on the tail and wings—especially the badly corroded right wing. “We We started on the worst parts first,” said Collings. The left wing, by contrast, was in surprisingly good shape.”

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

Game On!

Plane and Pilot

After a few seconds, Ill lift the tail and then add full power. Within a couple of seconds, I could feel that the tail was ready to come up, so I added just a touch of forward stick pressure. Within a couple of seconds, I could feel that the tail was ready to come up, so I added just a touch of forward stick pressure.

article thumbnail

Mach Number Explained: What It Is and Why Pilots Use It

Pilot Institute

When you reach around 36,000 feet (11,000 m) near the tropopause, the temperature stabilizes at around -56.5 °C. The problem is that the tail itself might be in trouble. The tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) at high Mach can also develop shocks or experience disturbed airflow from the wings.

article thumbnail

Flight Test Files: Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Vintage Aviation News

Photo by NASA The impetus for the program came from issues the Navy had encountered with inadvertent spin entries, which were traced back to the aircrafts aileron rudder interconnect system. This photo shows NASA’s F-14 (NASA tail number 991; Navy serial number 157991) flying over Rogers Dry Lake, accompanied by a Navy F-14.