Aircraft Control Surfaces and Components

Home , Aileron, Aircraft, Canard (aeronautics), Elevator (aeronautics), Empennage, Flap (aeronautics)

• Aircraft range from simple home-built machines to complex fighter jets • All aircraft have common structural and control components that allow for controlled flight Aircraft Components

Five typical components

Empennage Wing

Fuselage

Power Plant

Landing Gear Empennage and Wing Components

Elevator Empennage and Wing Components

Vertical Stabilizer Rudder Flaps

Ailerons

ElevatorElevator

Horizontal Stabilizer Horizontal Stabilizer Empennage Vertical Stabilizer Trim Tab

Horizontal Stabilizer Elevator Trim Tab Rudder Aircraft Components Aircraft Components

Vertical Stabilizer Empennage Rudder Horizontal Stabilizer Elevator

Flaps Cockpit Aileron

Fuselage Power Plant Wing Aircraft Components Rudder and Empennage Vertical Stabilizer Elevator and Horizontal Cockpit Stabilizer

Flaps Ailerons

Power Plant Fuselage Wing Fuselage Wing

Ribs Spar Wing Strut Winglet Center of Gravity

Center of Gravity (CG) is point where weight of object is balanced

Centroid located on Centroid of object with multiple lines of symmetry the line of symmetry is located at intersection of lines of symmetry Stability

• Aircraft with positive stability returns to steady flight after disturbance Stability

• Aircraft with positive stability returns to steady flight after disturbance • Maneuverability is an indication of an aircraft’s ability to handle the stress of maneuvers • Controllability is an indication of an aircraft’s ability to react to pilot inputs Aircraft Attitude

• Aircraft have three axes of flight which intersect at the center of gravity

Lateral Longitudinal Axis Axis

Vertical Axis Aircraft Attitude

• Aircraft have three axes of flight which intersect at the center of gravity • Aircraft must be stable around these three axes for controlled flight

Center of Pressure

Center of Gravity Aircraft Attitude

• Aircraft have three axes of flight which intersect at the center of gravity • Aircraft must be stable around these three axes for controlled flight • Aircraft must be controlled to rotate around these three axes to change direction

Center of Pressure

Center of Gravity Aircraft Stability and Movement Around Three Axes of Flight Lateral Roll Longitudinal Axis Axis Pitch

Vertical Axis

Yaw Aircraft Roll Stability and Control

To turn left, the aircraft must roll left.

Right wing must raise and left wing must Longitudinal Axis descend. Right aileron is lowered and left aileron is raised. Aircraft Roll Stability and Control

To turn left, the aircraft must roll left.

Right wing must raise and left wing must Longitudinal Axis descend. Right aileron is lowered and left aileron is raised. Flight Controls that Cause Ailerons and Flaps to Move Yoke rotated Left and right left flaps lower

Left aileron raises Right aileron lowers Flaps lever lowered Aircraft Pitch Stability and Control Lateral To descend, the pilot Axis reduces power and lowers the elevator to pitch down Pitch Down

Lower the elevator

Push the yoke forward Aircraft Yaw Stability and Control

Vertical To yaw the aircraft Axis nose left, the rudder must deflect left.

Push left pedal away from you. Yaw Left Aircraft Motion and Control Axis Motion Stabilized by Control Pilot Control

Longitudinal Roll Wings Aileron Yoke twist left or right Lateral Pitch Horizontal Elevator Yoke forward stabilizer or aft Vertical Yaw Vertical Rudder Rudder pedals stabilizer

Lateral Longitudinal Roll Axis Pitch Axis

Vertical Yaw Axis Why Do Airplane Designs Differ?

The differences more than aesthetic

Consider how a design affects lift and drag and other characteristics Wing Vertical Location How will the wing location affect aircraft performance? High Wing

Mid Wing

Low Wing High Wing

• High wing generates the most lift of the three wing locations because airflow is continuous with minimal interruption • Improved pilot downward visibility without wing obstruction • Center of gravity is high • Pusher engine avoids introducing turbulence over wing Mid Wing

• Mid wing generates the least lift of the three wing locations Low Wing

• Low wing generates lift as a median of three wing locations because airflow is almost continuous with some interruption • Increased ground effect increases lift during takeoff and landing because the wing airflow acts against the ground • Limited pilot downward visibility because of wing obstruction Wing Configuration How will the wing configuration affect aircraft performance? Biplane

Canard Wings Multiple Wings – Biplane

• Increased wing area generates more lift • Increased wing area generates more drag Canard Wings

• Canard wings provides major wing surface area well forward of the center of gravity • Center of gravity being farther rearward improves pitch control Vertical Stabilizer How will the vertical stabilizer affect aircraft performance? Twin vertical stabilizers

Triple vertical stabilizers

V-Tail Twin Vertical Stabilizers

• Two vertical stabilizers improve yaw control Triple Vertical Stabilizers

• Three vertical stabilizers improve yaw control • Could be needed to compensate for the limitation of other features V-Tail

• Early versions of the design made it difficult for a pilot to control yaw • Note the relative percentage of wing that is flap versus aileron. Power Plant How will the power plant affect aircraft performance? Tractor power plant

Pusher power plant

Variable direction power plant Tractor Power Plant Engine Propeller Pusher Power Plant Engine Propeller Variable Direction Power Plant Exhaust smoke from vertical thrust Landing Gear How will the landing gear affect aircraft performance? Oleo Strut

Tricycle

Floats

Tail dragger Landing Gear – Oleo Strut

Oleo strut Brakes

Tire Axle Rim Landing Gear – Floats Conventional Gear vs. Tail-Dragger

Main Gear (2 wheels)

Tail Wheel Tricycle Gear

Main Gear Nose Wheel (2 wheels) Specialized Landing Gear How will the landing gear affect aircraft performance? Rough field

Soft field Rough Field Landing Gear

• Rough field landing gear has smaller wheels to allow large shock absorbers • Large shock absorbers • Absorb impact of a rough terrain • Propeller is above tall grass Soft Field Landing Gear

• Soft field landing gear has large wheels to minimize sinking into terrain Aircraft Size and Shape How will the aircraft size affect aircraft performance? Fuselage size

Engine size

Specialized configuration Aircraft Size

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy Aircraft Size Aircraft Size

Boeing 777 Engine Intake Specialty Aircraft Instrument Panel How will the instrument panel affect aircraft performance? Simple instrument panel

General aviation instrument panel

General aviation instrument panel References

Jeppesen (2007). Private pilot: Guided flight discovery. Englewood, CO: Jeppesen. Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. (2006). Guided flight discovery private pilot images [CD-ROM]. Englewood, CO: Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2009). Airplane parts definitions. Retrieved from http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K- 12/airplane/airplane.html National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2009). Wilber and Or. Retrieved from http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2002- 000126.jpg References

Chapple G. (Photographer). (2012). Shuttle 1. [Photo]. Lockheed Martin (2010). C-5M first flight-3a. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/357061040 6/in/set-72157618866063402 Lockheed Martin (2010). F-35 Lightning II. Retrieved from http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/f35/ Lockheed Martin (2010). Lockheed Martin C-130 in flight. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/976461432/ Meyer, A. (2010). X-Plane (Version 9.21rc2) [Computer software]. Columbia, SC: Laminar Research. References

Senson, Ben. (2010). Madison Memorial High School, Wisconsin.