Aircraft Motion and Control

Aircraft Motion and Control

Each major part of an aircraft plays a
critical part in its
Motion: a change in position
Control: an instrument or part that
regulates or guides a machine or
vehicle
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Fuselage: the basic structure of an aircraft
to which all other parts are attached
It is a long, hollow tube that holds the
pieces of the airplane together, and holds
passengers and freight/cargo as well
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Fuselages vary in shape to fit
the mission
Aircraft rotates around center
of gravity inside the fuselage
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Wings: the major part of the aircraft
responsible for generating lift
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Wing position
depends on aircraft’s
mission
Main internal parts
are spars, ribs and
stringers
Fuel tanks usually
part of wing
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Dihedral angles give aircraft
roll stability and level flight;
the wings are higher that its
horizontal
– Large commercial airliner
wings have dihedral
angles
Fighter aircraft have
anhedral angles; the wings
are lower than its horizontal
and have greater roll
capability
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Ailerons:
Controls the right and left banking movement of
that aircraft
Located on the trailing edges of wings
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Ailerons:
If the aileron is flipped up on a wing, the lift on
the wing is decreased = the wing goes down
If the aileron is deflected down on a wing, the lift
on that wing is increased = the wing goes up
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Flap is hinged device at
wing’s trailing edge that
produces more lift & some
drag
Spoiler is small, flat plate
that attaches the tops of
wings; it increases drag
Slat is moveable, hinged
parts that pivot down to
generate more lift force
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Flaps:
Responsible for increasing lift and drag
Used for takeoffs and landings at low speeds
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Stabilizers keep aircraft
stable so it can maintain a
straight flight path
Vertical stabilizer prevents
the nose of plane from
roving side to size
Horizontal stabilizer keeps
plane from bobbing up and
down
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Empennage:
Tail assembly of the aircraft
Main parts are the elevator and rudder
 Aircraft Motion and Control

The elevator
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Elevator:
Responsible for the up and down movement of the
aircraft’s nose and tail
Mounted to the tail section of the plane
Horizontal stabilizer helps control the pitch
 Aircraft Motion and Control

The rudder

Push left rudder pedal and the Push right rudder pedal and the
plane turns left plane turns right
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Rudder:
Responsible for aircraft’s change of direction to the
right and left sides
Vertical stabilizer helps control the yaw
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Engines: responsible for the aircraft’s
power; generates thrust
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW:
1. Each major part of the aircraft plays a critical part in
what operations of the aircraft:
a. Lift and drag b. Motion and control
c. Drag and motion d. Control and lift
a. Control and lift
2. An instrument or part that regulates or guides the aircraft
a. Motion b. Aerodynamics
b. Avionics c. Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW:
3. This wing angle gives aircraft the greatest roll capability;
fighter aircraft have this type of wing angle
a. Dihedral b. Anhedral

4. Controls the up and down movement of the airplane

a. Aileron
b. Rudder
c. Elevator
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW:
5. Controls the left and right movements of the aircraft
a. Ailerons b. Rudder
c. Flaps d. Elevator

6. Responsible for increasing lift and drag

a. Ailerons b. Rudder
c. Flaps d. Elevator
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW:
7. A small flat plate attached to top of wing that increases
drag by interrupting the air flow
a. Spoiler b. Slat

8. A movable hinged part that pivots down to generate

more lift
a. Spoiler b. Slat
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW:
9. This stabilizer keeps the plane from bobbing up and
down:
a. Vertical stabilizer b. Horizontal stabilizer

10. This stabilizer prevents the nose of the plane from

roving from side to side
a. Vertical stabilizer b. Horizontal stabilizer
 Aircraft Motion and Control
REVIEW ANSWERS:
1. Motion and control 2. Control
3. Anhedral 4. Elevator
5. Rudder 6. Flaps
7. Spoiler 8. Slat
9. Horizontal stabilizer 10. Vertical stabilizer
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Reviewed some key control parts
What are some of the primary
motions these parts control?
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aircraft motion
Rolls/banks left and right
Pitches up and down
Yaws side to side
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aircraft motion
Rolls/banks left and right
Pitches up and down
Yaws side to side
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Longitudinal/Roll Axis
• Runs from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail
• Can be thought of as a skewer which rolls/turns either right or
left and causes everything attached to it to turn.
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Motion: rolls/banks right and left
Control: ailerons
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aileron and wing motion that makes the
roll/bank movement
To make a wing move upward, the aileron on that wing must
move downward.
To make a wing move downward, the aileron on that wing
must move upward
While the one wing is moving up or down the other wing is
moving in the opposite direction due to the deflection of its
aileron.
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Lateral/Pitch Axis
An imaginary rod, running from one wing tip through the
fuselage and exiting the other wing tip, forms an airplane’s
lateral axis.
Pitches the nose of the aircraft up and down
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Motion: pitches the nose up and down
Control: elevator
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Elevator and pilot control column/stick
controls up and down movement
When the pilot’s control column is pulled backward, the
elevator goes up, the nose goes up, the tail goes down
When the pilot’s control column is pushed downward, the
elevator goes down, the nose goes down, the tail goes up
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Vertical/Yaw Axis
An imaginary rod or axis which passes through the meeting
point of the longitudinal and lateral axes.
Makes a yaw movement, from side to side
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Motion: side to side
Control: rudder
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
The rudder controls the side to side
movement
The rudder moves in the direction of the rudder
pedal that is being pressed
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aircraft motion
How aircraft motion is controlled
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aircraft motion
Three axes of rotation
Banks/rolls, pitch, yaw
 Aircraft Motion and Control

How aircraft motion is controlled

Aileron
Elevator
Rudder
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Aircraft have primary and secondary
control systems
Rudders, elevators, and ailerons are
primary control surfaces, they control
the primary aircraft movements: rolls,
pitch, yaw
Flaps, slats, and spoilers are
secondary control systems, they let
the pilot maintain more control over
aircraft’s performance in regards to lift
and drag
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Review:
1. This axis of rotation allows the plane to go up and down
a. Roll b. Pitch c. Yaw

2. This axis of rotation allows the plane to move from left to

right:
a. Roll b. Pitch c. Yaw

3. This axis of rotation allows the plane to bank right and

left in varying degrees:
a. Roll b. Pitch c. Yaw
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Review:
4. The pitch axis is controlled by the:
a. Rudder b. Elevator c.
Aileron

5. The roll axis is controlled by the:

a. Rudder b. Elevator c.
Aileron

6. The yaw axis is controlled by the:

a. Rudder b. Elevator c. Aileon
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Review Answers:
1. Pitch
2. Yaw
3. Roll
4. Elevator
5. Aileron
6. Rudder
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Parts
 Aircraft Motion and Control
Primary aircraft parts:
Fuselage
Wings
Dihedral angle
Anhidral angle
Engine
Tail section
Empennage: elevators and rudder
Stabilizers: vertical and horizontal
Aircraft Motion and Control
 Aircraft Motion and Control
The primary aircraft motions are
Side to side movement
Banking movements
Up and down movements
Aircraft motion is controlled by the primary control parts:
Aileron
Elevator
Rudder
Lift and drag are controlled by secondary parts:
Flaps
Slats
Spoilers