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.

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Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

In maintaining a properly coordinated steep turn, the pilot must use the opposite aileron to maintain bank. You may need to apply the opposite aileron to counter the overbanking tendency. Adverse Yaw Adverse yaw is when an aircraft tends to yaw towards a raised wing due to the aerodynamic forces of an aileron deflected down.

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Lift Aileron Drag Pilot 52

Flying Magazine

APRIL 26, 2024

The small aileron “tabs” were not doing a great job in crosswind ability. As is often the case with swept-wing jets, sometimes extra drag is required beyond gear and flaps. Hand flying the circuit, I blasted through the shear with ease, but the big wings made it even more noticeable in rolling motions and aileron slop.

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Crosswind Weather Knot Aileron 105

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

We correct for the overbanking tendency with aileron opposite the turn. The aileron on the right wing deflects down, increasing the camber and creating more lift. The left wing’s aileron deflects up, decreasing lift. While the tilting lift vectors are an important source of adverse yaw, drag also plays a part.

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Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Drag : The aerodynamic force opposing the aircraft’s forward motion. This increases lift but comes at the cost of increased induced drag. Pilots must counteract the additional drag with more thrust to maintain altitude. Later flap stages add mostly drag. The gear adds lots of drag but zero lift.

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Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

When an airplane starts a turn, there is more lift, and therefore, more drag created in the raised wing. Because of the increased drag, the nose of the plane wants to yaw in the direction of the lifted wing. A pilot might have to use more aileron inputs, especially if it’s bumpy and the aircraft is getting moved around.

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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. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. This roughness adds to friction drag, which can reduce lift and increase drag by as much as 50% on a wing’s leading edge and upper surface.

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Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

Full flaps are generally used since they lower approach speed and increase drag. The drag allows for a steeper descent, which is particularly helpful when avoiding obstacles. Use the rudder to keep the aircraft in line with the runway and apply aileron into the wind.

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Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Density Altitude 52

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

Add any more pressure, and the wheel will stop rotating and drag along the runway instead. Keep the ailerons into the wind. This prevents directional control and creates flat spots on the tire. You don’t always need to apply ideal brake pressure, though. Use just enough braking as necessary.

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Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

The reaction in the form of increased thrust allows the aircraft to overcome drag and accelerate or climb. Lets break down the main control surfaces and how they use action-reaction: Ailerons Ailerons are flaps placed on the wings trailing edges. They work in opposite pairs: when one aileron goes up, the other goes down.

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Lift Thrust Torque Aileron 52

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 26, 2024

I disassembled one top wing panel and one bottom wing panel so we could compare the existing ribs, spars, and other parts to the blueprints – other than the ailerons, they were found to be identical, so I had a full set of new spars constructed. We include this photo in memory of Doris at the request of the Donner family.

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Airplanes Aileron Tail Hangar 105

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.

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Crosswind Longitudinal Axis Aileron Rudder 52

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.

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Stability Center of Gravity Aileron Rudder 52

Air Facts

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Now that T-38 would roll twice per second , a 720-degree-per-second roll rate, and I aileron-rolled it about five to six times right over the cloud deck, THE COOLEST SIGHT EVER, then rolled out. I deserved the taunting, doing aileron rolls like that, getting discombulated. My head was swimming from the rolling, my “gyros tumbled.”

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Runway Pilot Aileron Approach 98

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

The lack of airflow over the ailerons results in a loss of control authority and mushy and ineffective controls. While takeoff flaps improve performance, they also add unwanted drag. Furthermore, you must immediately remove one notch of the flaps to reduce the wing’s drag. This applies to the elevator as well.

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Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift 52

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. Out back, theres an entirely new tail.

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Airplanes Rudder Aileron Crosswind 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Winging It Aside from the aforementioned desire for a greater aspect ratio for reduced drag, the one-piece Gweduck wing was developed for minimal weight, ease of construction and benign handling. Keeping drag corralled was emphasized as the Gweduck mission is foremost long-distance cruising. Maintenance room is generally very good.

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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.

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Airplanes Runway Pilot Aileron 56