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

Aerotime

His system would provide an aircraft with automatic stability and control mechanism, through the control of the ailerons, stabilizer, and tail rudder through the use of a set of simple gyroscopes. As the French mechanic slid himself along the wing of the aircraft, shifting its center of gravity, the aircraft became unbalanced.

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Everything You Need To Know About Ailerons

Pilot Institute

Adverse yaw is a side effect of aileron use, countered by rudder input. Unlike the elevators and rudder mounted close to the fuselage, the ailerons location at the end of the long, thin, and flexible wings makes them much more prone to flutter. Most of the ailerons mass lies behind the hinge, making it tail-heavy.

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What Is a Flat Spin?

Pilot Institute

PARE: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward. 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. Let’s get started! Ailerons: Neutral.

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The Role of Newton’s Third Law in Aviation

Pilot Institute

Helicopters use a small rotor mounted on the tail that produces sideways thrust to counter the main rotors torque reaction. The tail rotor pushes air to one side ( action ), and the tail moves the other way ( reaction ). Other Designs The tail rotor is not the only way to solve the torque reaction problem.

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What Is a Dutch Roll, and Is It Dangerous?

Pilot Institute

Placing the center of gravity ahead of the aircraft’s center of lift improves longitudinal stability. Doing so provides more lateral stability since the aircraft’s Center of Gravity (CG) lies below the wings. Tail Design Larger, more effective stabilizers provide stronger restoring forces.

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Mastering Crosswind Landings (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Pilot Institute

Your ailerons and rudder will be neutral once you’re in the crab position. We use the rudder to align the aircraft’s longitudinal axis with the centerline. Simultaneously, we apply ailerons opposite the rudder input. The pilot needs to hold aileron and rudder deflection the entire time.

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Today in Aviation History: First flight of the Short Sunderland Flying Boat

Vintage Aviation News

The tail turret evolved into a powered version, incorporating four Browning machine guns. These enhancements, along with an increased center of gravity adjustment through the addition of forward ballast, ensured that the Sunderland could effectively defend itself while maintaining balance during flight.