Enter keywords or a search phrase below:
I sometimes see members struggling with what to call parts of airplanes, so I thought I'd put a picture up of an Otter that is pretty descriptive.
John
To see build logs for my models: http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html
Yes. Dad might have called the whole vertical the tail.
Modeling is an excuse to buy books.
Many of the newer airplanes have the horizontal stabilizer and the elevator in one piece, that moves with the stick or wheel. It started on jets, but Cessna even has a small single engine lightplane with that setup. It is usually called a stabilator.
Don Stauffer in Minnesota
Don Stauffer It is usually called a stabilator.
It is usually called a stabilator.
In the case where the opposite tail surfaces can also move differentially to control roll, they are often referred to as "tailerons".
Phil_H Don Stauffer It is usually called a stabilator. In the case where the opposite tail surfaces can also move differentially to control roll, they are often referred to as "tailerons".
Yup! And then there was the light twin jet- as I recall a Japanese plane, but something about Mooney that sticks in my mind, that used spoilers on top of wings to control roll.
Thanks John for the diagram!
I'm a little confused though. I don't see a label for 'guns'.
"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen
Phil_H In the case where the opposite tail surfaces can also move differentially to control roll, they are often referred to as "tailerons".
Relatedly, the control surfaces on delta's are usually 'elevons' on the outside of the wings.
youtube.com/c/thewaggishamerican
On the Bench- Tamiya 1/48 Raiden, Rufe, Buffalo, He 162; Academy 1/72 F-89, Eduard 1/48 F6F-3, Accurate Miniatures 1/48 F3F-2, Minicraft 1/48 XF5F, Academy 1/35 Hetzer, Zvezda 1/35 KV-2 (Girls Und Panzer)
Don....Remember the Mooneys that the whole rear fuselage moved to trim them up?
The Mitsubishi Mu-2 was the one with the roll spoilers. Mooney built them under license. It had full span flaps which left no room for spoilers, and a much higher wing loading than contemporary airplanes of the same purpose. It also has an accident history similar to the B-26 Marauder in its early days.
GMorrison Yes. Dad might have called the whole vertical the tail.
I call it “tail feathers”.
Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!
Don Staufferthat used spoilers on top of wings to control roll.
The OV-10 and P-61 also had (different) wing-top spoiler systems for roll control in addition to conventional ailerons.
'Tailerons' and 'elevons'; let us not forget flaperons....
Greg
George Lewis:
The Fouga Magister has "ruddervators".
That's what they are called on V tail Bonanzas as well, Bill.
The F-4 Phantom has spoilers on the top of the wings for roll. The ailerons only deflected downwards. Flaperons would be ailerons that deflect downwards slightly as the flaps come down. On the Air Tractor I fly the ailerons deflect with the first 10 degrees of flap travel. That thing needs all the flap it can get fully loaded.
And then there is the Spratt controlwing, where the whole wing tilted to control pitch and roll.
The term "all flying" is often used to describe control surfaces united to their stabilizers.
The A-12/SR-71 used "all flying" rudders. A wide range of figther aircraft have all flying elevators.
There are a couple of canard-winged designs that also have stabilizers at the tail.
Where a control surface is hinged can be significant. If the surface is hinged near its centerline (or its CM/CG/CL), it is said to be "ballanced." Quite a lot of control surfaces are "semi balanced" with some portion head of the hinge point. You can add "balance" to unbalanced control surfaces by way of trim tabs.
Ther is a rich and fascinating lexicon surrounding aircraft. Equally fascinating, too, are the working contraction to help speed conversations. Like "stab" for stabilizer, "fuse" for fuselage, even a/c ("ay-cee") for aircraft.
The Piper Cherokee series had a "stabulator". If I remember correctly the tail control/flying surfaces are referred to as the empanage (spelling?). Anytime I get a chance to fly a "tail dragger" I jump on it. I enjoy doing an "old school" 3-point landing, that is a full stall just as all three wheels touch the ground, or a "DC-3 landing" (landing on the mains and letting the tail settle). The Aercoup (spelling) had no rudder pedals and the control wheel has the ailerons and rudders coordinated. I don't remember there being a special term for that arraingement. Anyone?
rangerj The Piper Cherokee series had a "stabulator". If I remember correctly the tail control/flying surfaces are referred to as the empanage (spelling?). Anytime I get a chance to fly a "tail dragger" I jump on it. I enjoy doing an "old school" 3-point landing, that is a full stall just as all three wheels touch the ground, or a "DC-3 landing" (landing on the mains and letting the tail settle). The Aercoup (spelling) had no rudder pedals and the control wheel has the ailerons and rudders coordinated. I don't remember there being a special term for that arraingement. Anyone?
I had an Ercoupe at one time. It was fine for me, since I don't have very good coordination for hands and feet (don't dance that well either). Really liked that airplane. For crosswind landing you crabbed, and the landing gear, trailing link type, had enough flex that it swiveled until the plane got pointed the right way. Only problem was in a crosswind you had to do a full stall landing (nose high). The nose gear had a long stroke, and if the nose touched ground before it straightened out, you got a screach (on paved runways) and a jerk.
Didn't Piper have a model that had springs between aileron and rudder? Allowed you to cross control by overriding spring, but you could use it as a two control aircraft.
BTW, Ercoupe was short for Engineering Research Coupe.
Don
I have a lot of time in Piper aircraft including the J-3 and J4 as well as the PA18 (Super Cub), Cherokees, and the Commanchee and Aztec, but I do not remember the control set up you mentioned. I found the Aercoup challenging as I like to "dance" on the rudders. Said with toung in cheek and a bit cheeky. I never got a chance to fly the Piper Tripacer or the Colt and they might have the control set up you mentioned. The early Cubs are interesting to fly in a headwind as you could actually have a negative ground speed, so I was told. If you fly an early Cub by your self you fly from the back seat for weight and balance purposes. It is not uncommon to see a B-24 sitting on its "tail skid". It is most likely empty, a "weight and balance" around the "CG" consideration. If I remember correctly the B-24 had "Fowler Flaps" and "turbo charged" engines. It, and the B-17 were not "pressurized", but the B-29 was Pressurized. What about leading edge flaps and slats?
All these early aircraft had controls moved by human strength and cables and bell cranks and pullies. Later there was electric and/or hydrolic boosted controls. And later, about the late 1950s that "fly-by-wire" was introduced, e.g. the F-4 Phantom.
The building materials have also evolved fron wood and fabric to aluminum and steel, to carbon fiber, highly sophisticated metals, and coatings that are top secret, e.g. the B-2, F-117, or the SR-71.
One of the fun parts of model building is the learning process.
Don Stauffer Didn't Piper have a model that had springs between aileron and rudder? Allowed you to cross control by overriding spring, but you could use it as a two control aircraft. BTW, Ercoupe was short for Engineering Research Corporation.
BTW, Ercoupe was short for Engineering Research Corporation.
It sounds like you would apply ailerons the other way to counter a roll. Scary.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.