Aerodynamic Controls of a Typical Aircraft

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Aerodynamic principles
References

Introduction

Aerodynamics is a wing of dynamics concerned with studying the movement of air, specifically in a situation where it is in contact with another moving solid object (Chavarria, 2012, p. 3). While in motion, managers with experience in airplanes justify that an aircraft experiences four different forces, which aid in the motion and stability of the aircraft. These are thrust, lift, drag, and weight.

Aerodynamic principles

Lift

The lift is governed by two basic principles, which are Bernoullis principle of pressure and Newtons Third Law of Motion. Bernoullis principle states, An increase in the speed of air has an effect of reduction in the air pressure (Craig, 2002, p. 12). Thus, when an aircraft is in motion, the air mass above it is at a very high velocity due to the speed of the aircraft. When the air is at that high velocity, consequently its pressure falls. While the air above the craft is at very low pressure, the air mass below the aircraft maintains its high pressure thus the pressure difference causes a lift of the plane. More lift is explained by Newtons law of motion, which states, for every action, there is an equal, and opposite reaction (Chavarria, 2012). As air strikes the bottom of the aircraft, an equal reaction is produced in form of a force that pushes the plane up.

Drag

The movement of the aircraft through the air creates this force. There are two types of drag. The drag created as a result of the occurrence of a lift is called induced drag, while the other type of drag, parasitic drag, is not related to the lift (Chavarria, 2012). Parasitic drag is caused by those protruding objects of the aircraft which reduce its extend of streamlines. Parasite drag is usually high when the speed of the plane is low. However, with an increase in the speed of the airplane, parasite drag reduces. Drag is also caused by the air mass of air that is accelerating forward. From a managers point of view, aircrafts should be designed in such a way that the minimum possible drag is obtained. This is because it helps in the optimization of fuel consumption and in minimizing pollution.

Thrust

A thrust is important to overcome the drag and to push the airplane through the air. The spinning blades of a propeller that push air out create this thrust.

Weight

This is a force created by the pull of gravity towards the ground. The stability of the plane is mainly determined by the extent to which the lift overcomes the weight. If the lift is greater than the weight then the aircraft will gain altitude. If the weight is greater, then the aircraft will lose its altitude and be unstable (Nicolai & Carichner, 2010).

Controls

From a managers point of view, three parameters are significant to flight dynamics. These include pitch, yaw, and roll. These refer to rotations about the center of gravity of the airplane. The pitch movement is an upward or downward movement of the nose of the aircraft (Nicolai & Carichner, 2010). It is also known as the lateral axis. The elevator controls rotation about the pitch and it has the same features as a seesaw. It has a primary effect of changing the aircrafts pitches attitude and a secondary effect of changing its speed (Nicolai & Carichner, 2010). The pilots cockpit usually has a control column used to change the position of the elevators either by pushing it in or out of the instrument panel. As the control column is pushed in, the elevators move down, moving the nose of the aircraft down and the tail up (Craig, 2002). On the other hand, when they are pulled out, they make the plane pitch upwards.

The roll

This is a rotation around the longitudinal axis and lies at a right angle to the other two axes. It is an upward and downward motion of the wingtips of the airplane (Nicolai & Carichner, 2010). It is achieved by the use of ailerons. Ailerons are outboard moveable portions located at the tips of each wing. They operate in opposite direction. If one goes up, the other moves in the opposite direction. Their use in controlling the roll has a side effect of causing a small yawing motion to occur in the opposite direction of the roll Nicolai & Carichner, 2010). This yawing movement is usually known as the adverse yaw since it acts in the opposite of the yaw motion required. It is normally regulated by the use of the rudder (Nicolai & Carichner, 2010).

The Yaw

This is a rotation about the vertical axis. It lies at a right angle to the wing of the aircraft and is a motion of the nose from side to side (Craig, 2002). The rudder undertakes this rotation, and pilots use it to move the aircraft to the left or the right. Therefore, in this case, from a managers point of view, the ailerons and the rudder will have to be used together at once.

References

Chavarria, M. (2012). Aircraft Controls. New Delhi: White Word Publications.

Craig, M. G. (2002). Introduction to Aerodynamics. New York: Regenerative Press

Nicolai, M.L & Carichner, G. (2010). Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design. Washington, DC: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

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