Monday, March 5, 2012

Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Question for all Pilots

Fellows,

A hangglider has no elevator.
It has no rudder.
To turn the hangglider, simply bank the wing.
To loose the minimum amount of altitude, increase the AOA, which will also make
the turn tighter.

I.E. the turn is from the bank of the wing, which changes the direction of lift
from vertical to tilted, and the tilted lift pulls the wing around the turn.

In a fixed wing, the purpose of the rudder is to coordinate the turn.
In a fixed wing, the elevator can be used to increase the AOA to increase the
lift, which results in less altitude loss and a tighter turn.

None the less, without bank, a pilot can swing the elevator all day without
generating a turn.
A pilot can yaw the plane all over with the rudder, which (especially with swept
wings) will sort of turn the plane but is not an effective turn action.

R. Williams


---------- Original Message -----------
From: "James Bair" <jimbair@live.com>
To: <Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 10:53:58 -0600
Subject: Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Question for all Pilots

> Asking the proper question is one of the biggest challenges of being
> an instructor. In a perfect world, the student comes to the answers
> seemingly on his own if the questions are perfect and start with what
> the student already knows. This is difficult for the instructor and
> takes time and patience. Each student will vary with the proper line
> of questioning. So yes, a poor question leads to a poor answer. I
> wish I was perfect, but like most instructors, I am not. I enjoy
> these discussions as an exercise in learning myself how to ask better
> questions. You are being a bit hard on the CFI here, I think, because
> in my mind the question of which control surface makes an airplane
> turn is pretty straightforward. If the student can't answer it
> properly, it tells me something immediately about the student's
> level of aeronautical/aerodynamic knowledge, and leads to further
> questions. This is a question I often ask when giving a checkride and
> I am amazed at how many people don't know the answer.
>
> I think a common source of confusion that leads people down the wrong
> road of thinking is confusing rolling and turning. They are not the
> same thing at all. People are just used to seeing airplanes bank and
> turn, and in their heads they connect the two. In coordinated flight,
> yes, an angle of bank leads to a turn. But it is not necessarily so,
> and anyone who has been to an airshow has seen this in action. If
> this question was asked of any fighter pilot, the answer would always
> be the same. Aileron rolls you to the desired angle of bank, and
> pulling the stick back into your lap makes the airplane turn. A jet
> fighter that is rolled simply continues in a straight line until
> elevator is applied and then the turn begins. You answered the
> question in your last line. "then after the roll is in, the
> elevator is really what causes turning..." Bingo! Yes, you are
> correct.
>
> Jim Bair
>
> From: MarkE
> Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 9:27 AM
> To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Question for all Pilots
>
> If the casual study of philosophy has taught me anything it has taught
> me that a poorly poised question will always get poor answers.
>
> If I was ask this by a CFI, I'd have to do some questioning of my own
> before I would fly with her/him.
>
> NO one control is primary in a turn, it takes all three used in a
> concert to make a "proper" turn plus some throttle if you don't want
> to slow or loose alt. If the one that ask this was thinking of what
> you start with then he/she has not flown a good variety of planes as
> it varies, rudder in older airplanes, ailerons with most newer designs,
> but with either it is still a concert of all three. If the asked was
> talking aerodynamics, then after the roll is in, the elevator is
> really what causes turning...
>
> --- In mailto:Sport_Aircraft%40yahoogroups.com, "Kevin" <kmoberlypilot@...> wrote:
> >
> > I had a discussion last week with Rich Stowell, an industry expert on
stalls, spins, and unusual attitude recovery. He posed a very simple,
fundamental question to myself and a student, and stated that 90% of pilots get
the answer wrong. I'm curious how everyone on this group will answer.
> >
> > What is the primary control surface used to turn and airplane?
> >
> > I'd love to hear your answers. If you have time, click on this link to
answer/discuss further:
> >
> > http://pilotsleague.com/conference/index.html
> >
> > Once we get some responses, I'll post a link to his answer.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Kevin Moberly
> > PilotsLeague.com
> >
------- End of Original Message -------

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