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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. What is an autopilot?

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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? How does it turn or climb without the usual control surfaces? Despite their lack of horizontal control surfaces, tailless aircraft are designed to be stable. Ever wondered how it stays balanced? What Is a Tailless Aircraft?

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Today in Aviation History: First Flight of the Sage Type 3

Vintage Aviation News

Designed to be a training aircraft for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), the Sage Type 3 reveals the story of how a department store outfitter mobilized to build airplanes for the Royal Navy during WWI. The company that would build the Sage Type 3 had existed even before the invention of the airplane.

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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. Lets go back to that time in postwar GA when the sands shifted quickly. Fantasies revolve around high-profile aircraftthe P-51s, SR-71s, and DC-3s of the world.

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More than 11 Blériots!

Vintage Aviation News

Richard Shuttleworth obtained it in 1935 as his first historic airplane. It is generally recognized as the world’s oldest airplane with the earliest aero-engine in flying condition. James Kightly] One of Louis Blriot’s major achievements, and one he deserves credit for, was his control system.

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Everything You Need To Know About Ailerons

Pilot Institute

These control surfaces dictate the aircraft’s roll, and this allows it to bank smoothly through turns or even recover from turbulence. Have you ever wondered how pilots keep control at high speeds, during stalls, or even when systems fail? Or how do modern airplanes reduce dangerous effects like aileron flutter or adverse yaw?

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How to Improve Your Landings

Pilot Institute

Watch out for some common mistakes, such as over-controlling and reacting incorrectly to visual cues. Approach Path Control Energy Management How to Improve Approach Path Control Using Ground References Your pattern work will improve the more you standardize it. Adjust power to control your descent rate.

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