Remove Airplanes Remove Center of Gravity Remove Tail
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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. How does the tail do this? Lets find out.

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

Aerotime

Nowadays, modern aircraft are equipped with systems that can not only fly the aircraft but can also perform fully automated take-offs and landings and can even provide protection systems in the event of unusual flight situations that threaten the safety of the airplane and its occupants.

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Approachable Excellence

Plane and Pilot

Airplanes like the Piper Cherokee probably dont get their due. Ask a stranger to think of a small GA airplane, and theyll probably conjure something like a Cub. Fearsome metal airplanes helped win a global conflict, yet pilots came home to variations on prewar designs of tube-and-fabric construction and modest performance.

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The Hazards of Aircraft Icing: Explained

Pilot Institute

Ice can affect everything from how the airplane flies to the engines staying functional. Remember that wings, propeller blades, and tail surfaces are airfoil-shaped. Additional Dangers of Ice Accumulation Icing also makes your aircraft heavier and can even change the position of the center of gravity.

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What Is a Flat Spin?

Pilot Institute

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. Some aircraft can enter flat spins even if their center of gravity is in the normal range.

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How to Make a Perfect Soft Field Landing Every Time

Pilot Institute

This tendency is due to their high center of gravity and heavy engine over the nose wheel. Make sure not to pull back too hard, or you could cause a tail strike. Check out How to Perfect Your Airplane Landings. If the nose wheel digs in at high speeds, it can result in a loss of control.

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Everything You Need To Know About Ailerons

Pilot Institute

Or how do modern airplanes reduce dangerous effects like aileron flutter or adverse yaw? Unstable aircraft designs are better suited for high-maneuverability aircraft like aerobatic stunt airplanes or military fighters. Most of the ailerons mass lies behind the hinge, making it tail-heavy. With enough mass added, the C.G.

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