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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. Sperrys innovation was presented at the competition installed in a Curtiss C-2 single-engine airplane with a hull-shaped lower fuselage.

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Best Of The Web: Taildragger Sim

AV Web

Aviation YouTuber Trent Palmer says far too many tailwheel airplanes get wrecked in ground loops because new pilots don’t have the basic rudder and brake feel to keep them rolling straight on the runway. He’s designed a tailwheel ground simulator to help impart that essential skill without risking expensive hardware.

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Safety alert: NTSB ‘uncertain’ number of Boeing 737s flying with impaired part  

Aerotime

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an urgent safety recommendation to Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following an incident at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in February 2024, when the rudder pedals jammed on a United Airlines 737 MAX 8.

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Defective part may be installed on Boeing 737s flown by 40 non-US carriers: NTSB

Aerotime

On August 28, 2024, Boeing notified the NTSB that 25 US-registered planes have or had an affected SVO-730 rudder rollout guidance actuator installed. According to the NTSB, this was despite the FAA knowing that two similar incidents to the United Airlines 737 MAX 8 rudder situation in February 2024 occurred with foreign operators in 2019.

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NTSB Says Rudders Can Freeze In Hundreds of 737s

AV Web

The NTSB says the rudders on “more than” 353 Boeing 737NG and MAX aircraft can freeze stuck and it’s suggested the manufacturer come up with a solution besides stomping on the pedals to free them up. The pilots couldn’t budge the rudder so the captain kept the plane on the runway using the tiller.

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The Ercoupe

Plane and Pilot

He was proud of his little bird, with its unique split sliding canopy, no rudder pedals, and a delightful art deco instrument panel. The Ercoupe design featured an interconnect between the full-span ailerons, rudder, and steerable nosewheel. These included an F-1A model that featured conventional flight controls and rudder pedals.

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AirCorps Aviation’s Piper L-4H Grasshopper – Winter 2025 Update

Vintage Aviation News

image via AirCorps Aviation) The front seat frame, rudder pedals, and the tube connecting the front and rear control sticks are visible in this image. image via AirCorps Aviation) Control Linkages The restoration team recently installed the control cable linkages to the rudder and elevator, throttle controls, and fuel valve linkages.