Simple Flying

JULY 23, 2024

Aircraft are fitted with wingtip devices, generally known as winglets or sharklets, to minimize aerodynamic drag and increase fuel efficiency, and state-of-the-art engines reduce sound and wear and tear. Significant advances in aviation technology have occurred over the last few decades.

Stability 98

Stability Drag Aviation Technology Tail 98

Flying Magazine

MAY 14, 2024

The most significant visual differences were the T-46’s high wing and the “H” tail, with twin vertical stabilizers mounted to the ends of the horizontal stabilizer that strongly resembled those of the company’s previous jet, the A-10 Thunderbolt II. As outlined in a U.S.

Horizontal Stabilizer 126

Horizontal Stabilizer Stability Tail Drag 126

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

Understanding the Basics of Flight Principles of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag Flying a plane for the first time requires a basic understanding of the forces that make flight possible. Thrust, produced by the engines, moves the plane forward, while drag, or air resistance, slows it down.

Aileron 52

Aileron Drag Rudder Descent 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 12, 2024

Additionally, the S-72 was equipped with a low-drag fuselage, allowing it to achieve a maximum speed of 340 knots in a dive. Notably, one significant test involved measuring the vertical drag of the airframe using the main and tail rotor load measurement system, further contributing to valuable data in rotorcraft aerodynamics.

Drag 119

Drag Knot Approach Tail 119

Fear of Landing

APRIL 11, 2025

Instead, they had to drag the aircraft tail first off of the grass and back to the hangers. The nose gear of the F27 was so damaged that even when they restarted the engines, it was not possible to taxi forward or even to tow it by the nose back onto the runway. How can we explain such an elementary mistake?

Cockpit 67

Cockpit Runway Air Traffic Control Drag 67

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. Then in 1956 Cessna moved the tail-wheel on the 170 to the nose and the resulting high wing 172, with well over 40,000 copies, became the best-selling civilian aircraft in history. The bi-wing design has one serious flaw.

Lift 97

Lift Drag Airplanes Ground Effect 97

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.

Lift 59

Lift Tail Stability Wind Shear 59

Vintage Aviation News

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Around this time, the USAAF was also developing its first jet fighters, but knew that all-jet aircraft at this time were short-ranged and burned fuel quicker than propeller-driven aircraft, and so the optimal design was to feature a propeller-driven engine in the front for long range performance and a jet engine in the tail for high speed in combat.

Thrust 52

Thrust Tail Jet Drag 52

Pilot's Life Blog

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

The tradition of cutting the shirt tail of a student pilot after their first solo flight dates back to the early days of aviation. There are a few references to where this came from historically – let’s explore the heavy plane tail, the clipping, of birds wings, and the Navy.

Pilot 52

Pilot Tail Drag 52

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?

Horizontal Stabilizer 52

Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron Air Traffic Control Lift 52

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.

Cockpit 130

Cockpit Runway Drag Pilot 130

Fear of Landing

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

A significant amount of mud had accumulated within all landing gear bays, underneath the wings including flap surfaces, and over the fuselage towards the tail. They dragged sideways across the runway surface, causing that single track. The report doesn’t mention this but it is clear that the aircraft was well and truly stuck.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Rudder Knot Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes 80

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 80

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. Remember that wings, propeller blades, and tail surfaces are airfoil-shaped. This leads to a serious loss of lift and an increase in drag. If you don’t act quickly, you’ll soon feel its effects.

Pitot Tube 52

Pitot Tube Drag Lift Airfoil 52

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 11, 2024

However, this wasn’t the only unique thing about Cierva Twin; it was outstanding in its class for the following reasons – Coaxial Rotor System – This design eliminated the need for a tail rotor, reducing mechanical complexity and increasing lift efficiency. This allowed for more stability and control, especially in hover.

Tail 52

Tail Drag Ceiling Cargo 52

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

The problem is that the aileron can only be deflected to a point after which the drag becomes significant. Most of the ailerons mass lies behind the hinge, making it tail-heavy. Tail-heavy ailerons droop downwards when they arent being pulled by the control system. potentially reverting the aileron back into a tail-heavy state.

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Aileron Weight-Shift-Control Rudder Longitudinal Axis 90

World Airline News

OCTOBER 29, 2024

From Delta Air Lines: Go behind the scenes with two teams who play a key part in the product strategy and engineering aspect of a nose-to-tail cabin redesign. Debuting on a narrowbody Boeing 757 aircraft that will begin flying on domestic and short haul international routes later this fall, followed by a widebody Airbus A350 in early 2025.

Tail 59

Tail Drag Approach Airplanes 59

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 18, 2024

Most of the time, I would turn the floatplane setting the tails of the floats onto the shore in order to make our departure a simple matter of climbing in, starting the engine, and with a burst of throttle, sliding into the deeper water and going about our day. In short order, we loaded our gear and beat a hasty retreat back to Ketchikan.

Airplanes 78

Airplanes Torque Tail Pilot 78

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Flying in clouds of cold and warm fronts can lead to very small supercooled water droplets which build up as rime ice on the parts of the aircraft exposed to the wind: probes, antennas, and the leading edges of the wings and tail. This signifies a significant increase in drag which is causing the airspeed to drop by 15 to 20 knots.

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Knot Approach Descent Weather 104

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

As air flows over it, a force like lift results, and the tail is pulled in the opposite direction of the deflection. But instead of an upward force of lift on a wing, it’s a horizontal force pushing the tail of the plane causing the nose of the plane to move left and right. This is called adverse yaw.

Rudder 52

Rudder Airplanes Pilot Stability 52

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 2, 2024

Notable design changes included the introduction of a swept tail design in 1960 and a new cowl design in 1961, which improved aerodynamics and performance. Micro vortex generators are also a popular upgrade, optimizing airflow over the wing and tail surfaces to enhance control.

Knot 98

Knot Cockpit Pilot Gross Weight 98

Fear of Landing

MARCH 22, 2024

Gradually used to replace metals on parts of aircraft tails, wings, engines, cowlings, and parts of the fuselage, composites reduce overall aircraft weight and improve operational efficiency. Area Rule In the 1950s, NASA scientist Richard Whitcomb discovered several fundamental solutions to key aerodynamics challenges.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Airfoil Drag Airlines 52

Air Facts

JULY 1, 2024

He was in his forties when we flew together in his V-tail Bonanza. I put the gear down one dot above the glideslope and let the drag bring the aircraft down at its 550 foot-per-minute descent rate. The Power Jockey. I could tell he was a good pilot. His skills were excellent, and his anticipation was admirable.

Knot 97

Knot Approach Pilot Runway 97

Chess In the Air

JULY 24, 2022

Staying in ground effect protects the glider from a stall because of lower induced drag. However, perhaps the safest response for everyone involved would have been the following: Rather than trying to climb with the tow plane, I should have stayed in ground effect while communicating the request for a greater airspeed.

Knot 52

Knot Ground Effect Tail Pilot 52

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Winglets and Sharklets Both Airbus and Boeing operate aircraft with wingtip devices that are designed to increase aircraft efficiency by removing drag. The devices would prove to “reduce wingtip drag” and increase “fuel efficiency by 6-7%” but would need be positioned uniquely for each aircraft type.

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Lift Drag Air Traffic Control Tail 306

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

However, the increased drag might make it impossible to take off again. Make sure not to pull back too hard, or you could cause a tail strike. This does two things: it keeps the load on the wings and increases drag. A soft touchdown can only do so much if the field is too muddy or has massive potholes.

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NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

Once Shmulik was in the pattern the key thing that possibly could have helped him (besides a greater altitude) is a very high airspeed to get out of the sink and safeguard against the sudden tail wind. If that happens, the propeller causes a lot of extra drag, comparable to half-extended airbrakes.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear AGL Lift Runway 52

Airspeed Junkie

JULY 31, 2024

Innovative features like the Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC) system further enhance the Dreamliner’s fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The aircraft’s design, which includes advanced composite materials, contributes to significant weight savings and improved fuel economy.

Turbulence 59

Turbulence Aviation Technology Airlines Airline 59

Pilot Institute

APRIL 12, 2025

The reaction in the form of increased thrust allows the aircraft to overcome drag and accelerate or climb. 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 ).

Lift 52

Lift Torque Thrust Aileron 52

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 27, 2024

Despite some engine troubles, the FJ-3 gained greater acceptance with the fleet than the FJ-2 and was later modified to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile as the FJ-3M and in 1956, the Navy retrofitted all its FJ-3s with refueling probes under the left wing to couple to a drogue dragged behind an aerial refueling tanker.

Jet 111

Jet Approach Flight Deck Drag 111

Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Its connected, along with a safety weak link, to the tail of the airplane. With skill (and some luck) the hook catches, the plane roars up to not drag the fabric along the ground, and the whole assembly is hoisted into the air. Dropping the banner removed its drag, but only pitching down would have escaped the stall.

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Drag Airplanes Pilot Rudder 72

Vintage Aviation News

JANUARY 14, 2025

However, since Convair was also developing the XF-92 delta wing prototype for a future Air Force interceptor, the design team at Convair, led by Ernest Stout, proposed a new delta wing aircraft with retractable hydro-skis for takeoffs and landings, a watertight hull, and a single delta tail.

Cockpit 98

Cockpit Flight Deck Drag Stability 98

Ask the Pilot

MARCH 13, 2025

I don’t which part irks me more: the boring typeface, the blank bottom, or the tail emblem, which is a neutered version of the one it replaces. Then we have the tail. GRADE: D-minus MINTY FRESH JetBlues livery features a grab bag of different tail patterns. Where do we start? Do we have any idea what this means?

Tail 99

Tail Airlines Airline Runway 99

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 14, 2024

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. One of the biggest challenges for the X-29 was the unusual center of gravity, which was affected by the rear-mounting of the forward-swept wings and made the X-29 inherently unstable.

Horizontal Stabilizer 96

Horizontal Stabilizer Center of Gravity Tail Drag 96

Vintage Aviation News

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Flying against Captain Tom Curtis, the two “Sixes” engaged in a “vertical rolling scissors” maneuver at 38,000 feet (11,600 meters), trying to get behind the other’s tail. Foust did everything in his training to try and recover from the spin, including deploying his plane’s drag chute.

Pitot Tube 59

Pitot Tube Ground Effect Drag Pilot 59

Vintage Aviation News

OCTOBER 22, 2024

The aircraft felt underpowered and, faced issues with transonic drag, and went under further refinements in the design. The aircraft featured a mid-wing monoplane design with a 45-degree swept wing and tail surfaces. “Jack” D.T.W. Pat” Patton achieved a top speed of Mach 1.2 during this flight; however, certain setbacks were observed.

Weather 97

Weather Drag Payload Stability 97

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 26, 2024

Photo copyright Russell Munson] On April 26th, 1964 a radial-powered biplane with wings and tail in Champion Yellow and Stearman Vermillion-painted fuselage took off from an airfield near Lumberton, NC. “The steel fuselage frame, tail surfaces, and landing gear have been repaired as needed, media blasted, and primed.

Airplanes 105

Airplanes Aileron Tail Hangar 105