Pilot Institute

JUNE 4, 2025

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. With this type of aircraft, the functions of longitudinal stability and control are incorporated into the main wing. Ever wondered how it stays balanced?

Tail 52

Tail Airplanes Weight-Shift-Control Drag 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

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? Key Takeaways Ailerons control the aircrafts roll by adjusting lift on each wing.

Aileron 90

Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

Aircraft that transform their wing shape mid-flight might sound like something out of a futuristic sci-fi, but they’re actually as old as the jet age itself. The design adds weight, complexity, and maintenance needs. Modern jets favor simpler, stealthier fixed-wing designs. What Is a Variable-Sweep Wing? And although the P.1101

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Drag Lift Payload 52

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

Otherwise, our maintenance guys’ corrosion control team would rip me a new one. Besides, we had our hands full, fighting to maintain control of the airplane. That meant balancing aerodynamic forces on the flight controls with a large “trim wheel” linked by cables to tabs on the aft edge of our horizontal tail. Descent check!”

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Tail Cargo Airplanes 52