Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 21, 2024

Air Force photo) Devil’s in the Details The YB-49 design aimed to create a highly efficient aircraft with low drag by its rare all-wing configuration. However, the design faced major stability issues under various flight conditions, and after the two tragic incidents, it took another 41 years for the flying wing concept to see success.

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Stability Drag Jet Pilot 98

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Aerodynamics 101 Flying a small plane revolves around understanding four key forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Thrust, produced by the engine, propels the plane forward, overcoming drag, which is the resistance caused by air. These forces must work in harmony to maintain flight stability.

Weather 52

Weather Pilot Drag Rudder 52

Flight Training Central

MAY 6, 2024

Those struts and wires create a lot of parasite drag, an anathema for aircraft whose design and mission is speed. Short field landings can be shorter because the drag robbing ground effect is lessened by the greater distance between the wing and ground. The bi-wing design has one serious flaw.

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Lift Drag Airplanes Ground Effect 97

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 7, 2024

The unique cylindrical design of the fuselage allowed for a streamlined profile and reduced drag, increasing the overall efficiency. These drawbacks included the intubate propeller design, which induced so much aerodynamic drag, and also the aircraft’s top speed proved to be only 81 mph.

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Airfoil Rudder Drag Stability 98

Vintage Aviation News

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

The offset top wing offered the benefits of increased visibility to the pilot, and it was also claimed to have reduced interference drag between the top and bottom wings (though later evidence would argue the benefit as negligible.) The main perk was that this design just looked “cool”. Beech YC-43 assembly line, probably Model 17R.

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Drag Stability Pilot Hangar 105

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

How an aircraft handles Dutch roll depends on its dynamic stability. The aircraft’s design influences its dynamic stability. Increased lift on the raised wing immediately creates more induced drag. What’s induced drag? 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

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 28, 2024

2 with larger Wings for better lift and stability, a strengthened undercarriage for better support while carrying heavier payloads, updated avionics, which handled increasing demand for electronic combat and navigation and electronic countermeasures which improved survivability against radar and missile systems.

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Payload Thrust Stability Lift 98

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

As the engines spool up, the crew will initially increase the power slightly to stabilize the engines and ensure that they power up as commanded, before increasing to full power and releasing the brakes, propelling the aircraft down the runway.

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Cabin Crew Runway Clearance Knot 269

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

When the aircraft is in a high-drag configuration, a stall at a low altitude can be quite dangerous. Landing flaps add a lot of drag; removing this notch will help the aircraft accelerate quickly. But in a power-off stall, you have to pitch down to allow the airspeed to increase and stabilize the aircraft.

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Descent Approach AGL Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The airship initially recovered, dumping ballast and stabilizing at 700 feet above the sea and returning to its cruising altitude of 1,600 feet, but the ship was sent into another plunge, falling a rate of 14 feet per second tail-down. Then, off Big Sur, near Monterey Bay, the USS Macon was caught in a storm.

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Lift Tail Stability Wind Shear 59

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The rudder is a movable flight control which is mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer on the back of the airplane. Some new student pilots think the rudder and vertical stabilizer are the same thing. The vertical stabilizer is a vertical fixed part of the plane’s empennage. Why is the rudder so important?

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Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The aircraft exhibited poor directional stability (which was solved through the later addition of a ventral tail fin) at low speeds and oil sometimes splattered on the canopy’s windscreen. On May 18, 1945, the T-31 turboprop was finally ready and by June 11, the aircraft was ready to begin testing with its intended engine at Muroc.

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Thrust Tail Jet Drag 52

Flying Magazine

APRIL 26, 2024

As is often the case with swept-wing jets, sometimes extra drag is required beyond gear and flaps. Older jets without winglets or shorter wingspans are much faster in roll and lack some stability in bank. There was no inherent stability. Live weather in XP12 has a defect where it rains all the time, regardless of actual METAR.

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Crosswind Weather Knot Aileron 105

Vintage Aviation News

JULY 23, 2024

This is consistent with the theory, as a displaced torpedo would have bulged the bomb bay doors, which wind resistance could then have pealed back – leading to a rapid increase in drag preventing the aircraft from gaining altitude at sufficient speed.

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Cockpit Runway Drag Pilot 130

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. What are the basic parts of this section?

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Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

If there’s a hill to climb, there are two options: Leave the throttle alone, and the car (airplane) will climb the hill but slow down and stabilize at a slower speed going up the hill. And in a plane, aerodynamic drag will keep it from going any faster. Leave the power alone and gain speed, or reduce [it] to keep the speed the same.

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Airplanes Descent Pilot Altimeter 95

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

What Is Aircraft Stability? Stability is the aircrafts tendency to maintain its attitude or orientation. This means that they have to be effective enough to counter the aircrafts inherent lateral stability. Lateral stability depends on the aircrafts design. What Materials Are Used in Ailerons?

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Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 12, 2024

The turbulent air hits the horizontal stabilizer, which causes a vibration that can be felt throughout the aircraft. While takeoff flaps improve performance, they also add unwanted drag. So, as soon as airspeed stabilizes and you’re at a positive rate of climb, gradually retract the flaps.

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Stability Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 1, 2024

X and Y aircraft had rounded vertical stabilizers and wingtips while the production A and B models had squared surfaces. Additionally, the straight-wing design of the XP-59 caused drag issues, which limited its performance and speed. The Tizard Mission became the inspiration for the U.S. YP-59A in flight.

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Jet Stability Drag Thrust 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 11, 2024

This allowed for more stability and control, especially in hover. The streamlined nature of this configuration minimized drag while keeping the aircraft lightweight and maneuverable, increasing CR Twin’s range.

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Tail Drag Ceiling Cargo 52

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

One of the most revolutionary was the “area rule,” a concept that helped aircraft designers avoid the disruption in airflow and resulting drag caused by the attachment of the wings to the fuselage. Area Rule In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges.

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Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airlines 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

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. Trim for level flight once you’re stabilized at your target speed.

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Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

Pilot Job Central

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Pilots can use increased leverage from the pilot shortage to make significant gains in compensation, working conditions, and job stability. The processes and procedures required by the Railway Labor Act often cause pilot contract negotiations to drag over several years. The new pay rates match Delta Air Line’s pilot pay rates.

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Pilot Airlines Airline Drag 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

With a maximum takeoff weight of 2,400 pounds and a maximum gross weight that ensures stability, this aircraft is robust enough to handle a variety of flying conditions. Performance Specifications The performance specifications of the Cessna 172 speak volumes about its versatility and dependability.

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Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Aerotime

MARCH 27, 2025

Through their research, engineers at Bell Aircraft discovered that bullets could maintain stability at supersonic speeds due to their shape, leading them to design the fuselage of the X-1 along similar lines. These helped to minimize drag and ensure aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds.

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Pilot Airplanes Drag Thrust 275

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Managing the angle of attack matters because it directly influences lift generation and drag in all phases of flight. Once the aircraft is stabilized in its dive, your pitch attitude is true -45. Different wings offer a different lift-to-drag ratio. Maintain your best glide speed, representing the optimum between lift and drag.

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Lift Turbulence Drag Pilot 52

Pilot Institute

JULY 12, 2024

The easiest way to achieve this is by flying a stabilized approach. So, what is a stabilized approach? A stabilized approach requires the pilot to establish and maintain a constant angle glidepath towards an aiming point. Add any more pressure, and the wheel will stop rotating and drag along the runway instead.

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Descent Weight-Shift-Control Crosswind Runway 52

Pilot's Life Blog

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Aerodynamics and Flight Theory : Youll learn the basic principles behind flight, including the four forces: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Youll learn how the four forces of flightlift, drag, thrust, and weightinteract to keep an aircraft in the air. Lets break down what you can expect from these topics.

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Pilot Air Traffic Control Weather Flight Plan 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. As with any landing, it’s vital to have a stabilized approach. If you’re not stabilized at 200 feet AGL, go around. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. A field with tall grass will slow you down quickly on landing.

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NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

This gives you a safe buffer on the stall speed and plenty of time to stabilize. 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. With a short field landing, we aim to be at 1.3

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Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Density Altitude 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

At first, you might experience a strong headwind, which briefly increases your airspeed and gives you a false sense of stability. Keep wings level to prevent unnecessary drag or instability. Flying Into a Microburst From your point of view, what happens if you fly into a microburst? Within seconds, everything changes.

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Wind Shear Weather Descent Approach 66

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 14, 2024

It was certainly a most unusual aircraft, distinguished by its forward swept wing and canard horizontal stabilizers. This was why the strakes were added to the X-29’s tail, in order to reduce drag from using the trim on the canard in the nose.

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Horizontal Stabilizer Center of Gravity Tail Drag 96

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Additionally, the design featured a large engine, small wings with high wind loading, and a focus on low-altitude stability. The aircraft felt underpowered and, faced issues with transonic drag, and went under further refinements in the design. Such emphasis was of major importance for delivering nuclear bombs. Jack” D.T.W.

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Weather Drag Payload Stability 97

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 5, 2024

Additionally, the Shiun incorporated a laminar flow airfoil to reduce drag. However, this would mean that the Shiun’s pilot would have to ditch the aircraft in the water, with the stabilizing floats deploying to add buoyancy to the aircraft. But there were also several key distinctions between the Kyofu and the Shiun.

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Drag Stability Airfoil Torque 52

AV Web

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Once youve got the airplane stabilized but are unable to resolve the partial power loss, its time to start getting this thing on the ground. Both flaps and gear stay retracted until the runway is made, and only then do you add drag and land. Once the start locks engage, it can be impossible to feather the propeller and minimize drag.

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Runway Airplanes Approach Drag 52

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 80