How an airplane taxis on the ground. How does the aircraft control work in the horizontal and vertical planes? The explanation from a physical point of view is quite simple, but it is more difficult to implement in practice.

And again we tear off the veils of secrets. Although, what are the secrets here? Everything is transparent, honest, open. Today I will continue the series of educational programs with the topic of how pilots fly an airplane. Against the background of various so-called "Chaynikovsky" questions that I (and others) are asked, I would like to especially highlight the "problem of the left hand."

As is known, in the cockpit of a modern passenger airliner there are two steering wheels if we are talking about a traditional aircraft or two sidesticks if we are talking about Airbus or UAC products.

In fact, the comment below is what prompted me to write this post:

“Denis, in airplanes with joysticks must the pilots be ambidextrous? Does it mean that the captain has to control with his left hand? Brrr.”

Remark - the side control sticks of the aircraft on English language are called sidesticks, but in everyday life, of course, they received the nickname “joystick”. If you don’t mind, I will also call it a joystick.

Here they are in the A320 cockpit, left and right (photo taken from the Internet)

But here he is in the Superjet. There is one like this on the left.

But I won’t just go ahead and answer this question. As usual, I will allow myself to rant and come from afar.

If you want to take a shortcut and don’t want to read elementary stuff about the principles of airplane control and the differences between Boeings and Airbuses, then you can simply scroll down to the last part.

Many passengers have the opinion that the Commander always pilots. This is incorrect, because. the probability that today you will be driven through air pockets co-pilot is quite high, about 50%, and should never be neglected.

We consider the above to be a clumsy attempt at a joke, but even there was some truth in it, namely, a 50% probability. Typically, pilots split their flights in half. Yes, there are PICs who prefer to carry out most flights themselves using the autopilot 100%, but there are also those who out of three flights give at least two to their co-pilots.

(I'm one of the latter)

Therefore, on average, that same 50% comes out. Both pilots should be able to do this, but only the commander has the main responsibility for everything that happens, and therefore he receives more salary than the co-pilot (although in Western companies with their seniority system, options are possible).

So, so that both pilots have more or less equal opportunities to pilot the aircraft, they are given a steering wheel/joystick in their hands, pedals in their feet, and a laryngophone on their neck.

The pedals perform the same functions here and there - pilot footrests, They also control the rudder, which is located on the fin of the aircraft. If you deflect the left pedal in flight (namely, move it forward, while the right pedal moves back by an equal value in magnitude), then the plane will begin to turn its nose to the left and at the same time roll to the left. This should be done extremely carefully, because... When controlling an airplane on course with the help of pedals, a slip occurs on the wing that is outer to the turn. During sudden movements, it can be large, which is fraught with loss of speed and even stalling, and the load on the keel can be completely excessive! Pilots use pedals in flight only to combat crosswinds during takeoffs and landings, as well as in some emergency situations.

When the aircraft moves on the ground by pressing the pedals (now we are talking about pressing the pedal like you do on cars, where the pedals are attached to the floor), the pilot brakes the wheels. Pressing the left pedal will apply the brakes on the left main landing gear, and pressing the right pedal will apply the brakes on the right. Of course, you can press at the same time.

And at the end of the conversation about the pedals - on most aircraft they are also used to control the rotation of the wheels of the front landing gear. True, most often at a small angle - such that it will be sufficient to correct deviations during take-off or braking on the runway, if the plane is moving at insufficient speed, at which the rudder is not yet effective.

Using the yoke or joystick, the pilot can raise or lower the nose of the plane (increase or decrease pitch, if you're being smart), create a roll left or right, or both at the same time. Simultaneously with the introduction of the aircraft into a roll, it itself, according to the laws of aerodynamics, begins to change course in the direction of the roll, and does this smoothly and comfortably for passengers.

(On small, low-speed aircraft with very unswept wings, to perform a coordinated turn - that is, when flying in a bank without sliding on any wing - you have to help yourself with the pedal, hence the word “pedal”, which the pilot uses to replace the word “pilot”).

There is a certain difference between the control methods of “traditional aircraft” and modern ones - Airbuses and superjets. In the latter, the pilot controls the plane through a sieve of computer laws, which puts the final point in determining exactly how much and how quickly the pilot wants to change the parameters of the plane’s movement in space. And according to special laws, he either obeys the timid desire of the pilot, or does not allow the especially daring to perform a roll or other aerobatics maneuver.

At the same time, by moving the joystick, the pilot sets the plane's roll and pitch with which he wants to fly, after which he can stop playing, and the plane will continue to fly at these angles, and the joystick itself will stick out neutral.

On traditional aircraft, the degree of computer influence on pilot decisions is not so pronounced, so if desired, a pilot of a B737 or even a huge 747 can try to perform a combat turn or at least a roll. True, this is a very, very stupid idea, even more idiotic than drifting in a KamAZ truck engaged in logging.

Maneuvering such aircraft is still an art that takes some time to master, because... The pilot has to maintain the desired parameters (roll, pitch) during the maneuver himself and corrective actions must be taken constantly. In a turbulent atmosphere, plus when the operating mode of the engines changes, the plane tends to show its “tongue” to the pilot, to dodge and move away from the desired parameters... and if the pilot does not nip this in the bud, then he will again have to gather the arrows in a heap.”

Experienced pilots develop a special feeling called the “airplane ass feeling,” which will allow them to synchronize the disturbed movement of the aircraft and their reaction to it almost in real time.

Of course, the 737 also has certain protections, for example, they will fight to the last, if the pilot suddenly wants to throw the plane into a tailspin - turn on the alarm, shake the steering wheel, lower the slats, deflect the stabilizer into a dive, increase the load to take over the steering wheel. , if the pilot is completely dumbfounded and continues to try to bring down the plane.

But this is far from the protection that the domestic Superjet provides. It's definitely designed for idiots in the cockpit, because... Only idiots would create a situation where one pedal is all the way to the left, say, and the joystick is all the way to the right. For a Superjet, such a wobble does not cause any worries; let me remind you, it decides for itself how and how much to deflect the control surfaces, and adds thrust to the engines if it gets really bad, and if I want to sway the B737 like that, then I will have to try very hard to make the plane even would not decline.

Between the two polar “philosophies” there is another one - the modern Boeing concept, implemented on the B777 and B787. The pilot controls the plane with the helm, but exclusively through a computer, which helps the pilot through foolproof protection and smaller troubles, similar to the same solutions that are implemented on Airbuses.

But with all this, Boeing did not want to go all the way, that is, to introduce piloting according to the principle of “constantly maintaining a given roll and pitch,” so the pilot still has to control the parameters during maneuvering, although this will be easier to do than on the B737.

The future, of course, lies in the “fly-by-wire” concept, in which the controls are not mechanically connected to the control surfaces, all input signals are processed by a computer and the output is given the value that best suits the conditions of the task. This allows you to implement protection against anything and everything at a completely different level than was done on aircraft of previous generations.

In any case, the automatic assistant still complements the pilot, but does not replace him. Cuts corners, but doesn't break new ground.

So, let's sum up the intermediate result. Feet on the pedals hand on the joystick, hands at the helm.

It turns out that the Airbus pilot has one hand not used?

Of course this is not true! After all, he can use it to hold a spoon, because the most important advantage of this plane is that it has a pull-out table! Just imagine how romantic it is - you are flying, steering with one hand, and lazily stirring the cooling coffee with your left!

Ok, let this be my second lame joke, although, again, there is some truth to this attempt at humor. So, gentlemen, in the very first sentence of this part of the entry I wrote not entirely the truth, and it concerned... the steering wheel.

If I'm flying a plane manually, such as on approach, even my two-handed yoke will only have ONE hand on it. If I am the Co-Pilot and occupy the right seat, then this will be the right hand, and if I am the Captain in the left seat, then the hand LEFT.

With the remaining limb I will control the engine thrust using the levers that are located on the remote control between the pilots. There are two of them in my plane, and four in the B747 - according to the number of available engines.

As for the A320 pilot, I wasn’t very sarcastic about the spoon, because... theoretically this is quite possible (and probably someone has already tried it). The thing is that on my B737 we usually turn off the automatic control that regulates engine thrust to maintain a given speed if we fly manually. This is what the documents strongly recommend.

And on airplanes like A320, B777, Superjet, the autothrottle is usually always on, regardless of whether the autopilot controls the plane or a person controls it through clever computers. It controls the speed, and the computer, by deflecting the rudders, controls the effects of changes in thrust on the aircraft.

Moreover, the frogmen invented their own philosophy, which to this day is a fundamental difference from the philosophy of the rest of the world - when the thrust is controlled automatically, the engine control levers on the Airbus stand still, while on the 737, 777, 787, other aircraft, including the aforementioned Superjet, which in all other respects professes the French philosophy - they have feedback, that is, they move when the automation is operating, allowing the pilot increased level control. The pilot can always “add” or “hold back a little” if he considers it necessary for some reason (on the B737 this is often required).

But in any case, the Airbus pilot will keep his hand on the engine control levers on approach to perform one of two simple actions - either initiate a missed approach (pushing them forward), or before touching down, push them back, under the helpful prompt "RETARD, RETARD !", pronounced by the electronic assistant.

NOW LET'S GET TO THE ANSWER

That is, both an A320 pilot and a B737 pilot sitting in the left seat will control the aircraft with their LEFT hand.

So should he or shouldn’t he be ambidexterous (a person who can use both hands equally well)?

Answer: no need.

How not to be ambidextrous when driving a car on a daily basis. No, I understand, of course, that the left hand is made for a mobile phone, and with the right hand you can turn the steering wheel and move a poker (and even turn on the turn signals), but such Caesars belong in the circus, not on the road.

A person gets used to everything. It's only difficult at first. Then the motor skill comes and the person performs the necessary movements practically without involving any brain effort.

All co-pilots, without exception, when training as a commander, go through a period of “acclimation”, which does not consist only of training the left hand. Exactly the same problems arise with the right one - after all, a lot of actions have to be done in a mirror way! And the throttles are now on the right, and the autopilot control panel is there too. And, believe me, from this angle, when you’re not used to it, it looks completely different!

I went through this too, several times in my career, and it started back in flight school. In a flight deck, you fly most of the flights in the left seat and only a small part in the right seat, then you fly on the left again... and when you come to the airline, they put you in the right seat.

In my company, for a long time, the captain induction program included only two training sessions. Now she occupies five sessions lasted four hours, and I am very happy about this achievement - just good time so that the pilot becomes more or less comfortable in the left seat and does not try to reach his left ear with his right hand. So the pilot approaches linear training with certain skills.

In any case, even in the very first flights, the skills acquired while flying from another seat are enough to control the plane by changing hands to the opposite ones. There is discomfort, increased work stress, but you are able to fly the plane. This discomfort disappears as you fly and gain skills, and then the moment comes when you think that it is more convenient to steer the plane with your left hand, and to control the engine with your right hand.

After I flew as a Captain for six months, they decided to give me permission to fly from the right seat (there is such a practice - to fly with two captains, but one plays the role of co-pilot). And then I again felt the inconvenience of transplanting and changing hands. Perhaps even more inconvenient than when changing to the left seat, and I don’t know how to justify this. But still, the existing skills were enough to confidently perform any necessary maneuvering, even if it caused discomfort.

This happened back in 2007, and over the years I have changed from one seat to another so often (both as a “co-pilot” and as an instructor) that today I feel absolutely no discomfort in piloting left/right.

But sometimes my hands get confused in a seemingly simple operation - move the chair forward, because... the lever responsible for moving the chair is again located mirrored on both chairs.

Another veil, hopefully lifted.

If you are interested in my “educational educational program” series, then you can always open it using the tag of the same name.

And if you are interested in learning something new from this series that I have not written about yet, please give me an idea! If she understands about a separate article, then I’ll find time to write it!

Fly Safely!

When creating the aircraft, engineers had to solve the difficult problem of controlling a winged machine. After all, the plane moves not only in the horizontal plane. A car and a ship have only one steering wheel, which allows you to turn left or right. The plane needs an additional rudder for maneuvers in the vertical plane - down and up.

As a result, the plane was equipped with two rudders - a rudder and an elevator (depth).
To control an airplane in a horizontal plane, a rudder is used. Its structure resembles the rudder of an ordinary ship. The rudder is connected by two cables to the aileron of the rear fuselage. When the aileron turns to the right, the plane turns to the right due to the air flow. Everything is extremely simple.

The elevator allows you to tilt the aircraft down and up relative to the transverse axis of the fuselage. By lowering the ailerons on the planes of the aircraft, the air flow pushes the car down or up. The elevator handle is located opposite the pilot's seat. When the pilot “takes over” the helm, the ailerons rise upward, air masses rush upward and press on the rear of the wing. Tail section the plane descends and the plane flies up.

When the pilot lowers the control wheel, “gives away,” the altitude ailerons move down and the plane rushes down. The action of air on the plane occurs from below the wing according to the same principle as when the ailerons rise. The plane loses altitude due to the raising of the tail of the fuselage.

When the elevator is tilted to the side, the plane rolls accordingly. This happens thanks to the elevator's articulated system. The roll of an aircraft occurs as a result of the alternating lowering or raising of the ailerons. This principle is used to balance the aircraft in the horizontal axis of planes.

Through the simultaneous use of elevators and rudder, the aircraft can simultaneously change altitude and direction of flight. The pilot controls the elevator with his right hand. Very rarely, when it is necessary to exert force on a turn, the pilot takes the helm with both hands. In modern aircraft, due to hydraulics, very little force is needed on the elevator.

The pilot's left hand controls the levers that control engine operation. All other instruments and devices that ensure flight stability are controlled by the pilot’s left hand.

The principle of operation of the rudders and ailerons is quite simple. This principle has not changed with the development of aircraft manufacturing. The difference lies only in the engineering solutions for the layout of the control system, which would correspond to the tasks of the designed model. In modern aircraft, lightweight metal frames covered with duralumin sheets are used for the manufacture of ailerons. Also, hydraulic and electric drives are widely used to ensure optimal operating conditions of the aircraft.

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Often, watching a plane flying in the sky, we wonder how the plane gets into the air. How does it fly? After all, an airplane is much heavier than air.

Why does the airship rise

We know that balloons and airships are lifted into the air Archimedes' force . Archimedes' law for gases states: " Nand a body immersed in gas experiences a buoyancy force equal to the force of gravity of the gas displaced by this body.” . This force is opposite in direction to gravity. That is, Archimedes' force is directed upward.

If the force of gravity is equal to the force of Archimedes, then the body is in equilibrium. If the force of Archimedes is greater than the force of gravity, then the body rises in the air. Since the cylinders of balloons and airships are filled with gas, which is lighter than air, the Archimedes force pushes them upward. Thus, the Archimedes force is the lifting force for lighter-than-air aircraft.

But the gravity of the aircraft significantly exceeds the force of Archimedes. Therefore, she cannot lift the plane into the air. So why does it still take off?

Airplane wing lift

The occurrence of lift is often explained by the difference in static pressures of air flows on the upper and lower surfaces of the aircraft wing.

Let's consider a simplified version of the appearance of the lifting force of a wing, which is located parallel to the air flow. The design of the wing is such that the upper part of its profile has a convex shape. The air flow flowing around the wing is divided into two: upper and lower. The speed of the bottom flow remains almost unchanged. But the speed of the top one increases due to the fact that it must cover a greater distance in the same time. According to Bernoulli's law, the higher the flow speed, the lower the pressure in it. Consequently, the pressure above the wing becomes lower. Due to the difference in these pressures, lift, which pushes the wing up, and with it the plane rises. And the greater this difference, the greater the lifting force.

But in this case, it is impossible to explain why lift appears when the wing profile has a concave-convex or biconvex symmetrical shape. After all, here the air flows travel the same distance, and there is no pressure difference.

In practice, the profile of an airplane wing is located at an angle to the air flow. This angle is called angle of attack . And the air flow, colliding with the lower surface of such a wing, is beveled and begins to move downwards. According to law of conservation of momentum the wing will be acted upon by a force directed in the opposite direction, that is, upward.

But this model, which describes the occurrence of lift, does not take into account the flow around the upper surface of the wing profile. Therefore, in this case, the magnitude of the lifting force is underestimated.

In reality, everything is much more complicated. The lift of an airplane wing does not exist as an independent quantity. This is one of the aerodynamic forces.

The oncoming air flow acts on the wing with a force called total aerodynamic force . And lifting force is one of the components of this force. The second component is drag force. The total aerodynamic force vector is the sum of the lift and drag force vectors. The lift vector is directed perpendicular to the velocity vector of the incoming air flow. And the drag force vector is parallel.

The total aerodynamic force is defined as the integral of the pressure around the contour of the wing profile:

Y – lifting force

R – traction

dΩ – profile boundary

R – the amount of pressure around the contour of the wing profile

n – normal to profile

Zhukovsky's theorem

How the lifting force of a wing is formed was first explained by the Russian scientist Nikolai Egorovich Zhukovsky, who is called the father of Russian aviation. In 1904, he formulated a theorem on the lifting force of a body flowing around a plane-parallel flow of an ideal liquid or gas.

Zhukovsky introduced the concept of flow velocity circulation, which made it possible to take into account the flow slope and obtain a more accurate value of the lift force.

The lift of a wing of infinite span is equal to the product of gas (liquid) density, gas (liquid) velocity, circulation flow velocity and the length of a selected section of the wing. The direction of action of the lifting force is obtained by rotating the oncoming flow velocity vector at a right angle against the circulation.

Lifting force

Medium density

Flow velocity at infinity

Flow velocity circulation (the vector is directed perpendicular to the profile plane, the direction of the vector depends on the direction of circulation),

Length of the wing segment (perpendicular to the profile plane).

The amount of lift depends on many factors: angle of attack, air flow density and speed, wing geometry, etc.

Zhukovsky's theorem forms the basis of modern wing theory.

An airplane can only take off if the lift force is greater than its weight. It develops speed with the help of engines. As speed increases, lift also increases. And the plane rises up.

If the lift and weight of an airplane are equal, then it flies horizontally. Airplane engines create thrust - a force whose direction coincides with the direction of movement of the aircraft and is opposite to the direction of drag. Thrust pushes the plane through air environment. In horizontal flight at a constant speed, thrust and drag are balanced. If you increase thrust, the plane will begin to accelerate. But drag will also increase. And soon they will balance again. And the plane will fly at a constant, but higher speed.

If the speed decreases, then the lift force becomes less, and the plane begins to descend.

An airplane is a heavier-than-air aircraft. This means that its flight requires certain conditions, a combination of precisely calculated factors. The flight of an airplane is the result of the lifting force that occurs when air flows move towards the wing. It is turned at a precisely calculated angle and has an aerodynamic shape, thanks to which at a certain speed it begins to strive upward, as the pilots say - “stands up in the air.”

The engines accelerate the plane and maintain its speed. Jet engines push the plane forward due to the combustion of kerosene and the flow of gases escaping from the nozzle with great force. Propeller engines “pull” the aircraft along with them.

The wing of modern aircraft is a static structure and cannot itself generate lift on its own. The ability to lift a multi-ton vehicle into the air occurs only after forward motion (acceleration) aircraft by using power plant. In this case, the wing, placed at an acute angle to the direction of the air flow, creates different pressure: above the iron plate it will be less, and below the product it will be more. It is the pressure difference that leads to the emergence of an aerodynamic force that contributes to the climb.

Aircraft lift consists of the following factors:

Angle of attack
Asymmetrical wing profile

The inclination of the metal plate (wing) to the air flow is usually called the angle of attack. Typically, when lifting an aircraft, the mentioned value does not exceed 3-5°, which is enough for takeoff of most aircraft models. The fact is that the design of the wings has undergone major changes since the creation of the first aircraft and today it is an asymmetrical profile with a more convex top sheet of metal. The bottom sheet of the product is characterized by a flat surface for virtually unhindered passage of air flow.

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Schematically, the process of generating lift looks like this: the upper streams of air need to travel a longer distance (due to the convex shape of the wing) than the lower ones, while the amount of air behind the plate must remain the same. As a result, the upper jets will move faster, creating an area of low pressure according to Bernoulli's equation. The difference in pressure above and below the wing, coupled with the operation of the engines, helps the aircraft gain the required altitude. It should be remembered that the value of the angle of attack should not exceed a critical point, otherwise the lift force will drop.

The wing and engines are not enough for a controlled, safe and comfortable flight. The plane needs to be controlled, and precision control is most needed during landing. Pilots call landing a controlled fall—the plane's speed is reduced so that it begins to lose altitude. At a certain speed, this fall can be very smooth, leading to the wheels of the chassis softly touching the strip.

Flying an airplane is completely different from driving a car. The pilot's control wheel is designed to deflect up and down and create a roll. “Pulling” is a climb. “From yourself” is a decline, a dive. In order to turn or change course, you need to press one of the pedals and use the steering wheel to tilt the plane in the direction of the turn... By the way, in the language of pilots this is called a “turn” or “turn”.

To turn and stabilize the flight, a vertical fin is located at the tail of the aircraft. And the small “wings” located under and above it are horizontal stabilizers that prevent the huge machine from rising and falling uncontrollably. The stabilizers have movable planes for control - elevators.

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To control the engines, there are levers between the pilots’ seats; during takeoff, they are moved fully forward, to maximum thrust, this takeoff mode required for recruitment takeoff speed. When landing, the levers are retracted completely back - to the minimum thrust mode.

Many passengers watch with interest as the back of the huge wing suddenly drops down before landing. These are flaps, “mechanization” of the wing, which performs several tasks. When descending, the fully extended mechanization brakes the aircraft to prevent it from accelerating too much. When landing, when the speed is very low, the flaps create additional lift for a smooth loss of altitude. During takeoff, they help the main wing keep the car in the air.

What should you not be afraid of while flying?

There are several aspects of flight that can frighten a passenger - turbulence, passing through clouds and clearly visible vibrations of the wing panels. But this is not at all dangerous - the design of the aircraft is designed to withstand enormous loads, much greater than those that arise during a bumpy ride. The shaking of the consoles should be taken calmly - this is acceptable design flexibility, and flight in the clouds is ensured by instruments.

A control device (roll rudders) that is equipped with conventional aircraft and those created according to the “duck” design. The ailerons are located on the trailing edge of the wing consoles. They are designed to control the angle of inclination of “iron birds”: at the moment of application, the roll rudders are deflected in opposite directions, differentially. In order for the plane to lean to the right, the left aileron is directed downward and the right aileron is directed upward, and vice versa.

What is the principle of operation of roll rudders? The lift force is reduced at that part of the wing that is located in front of the aileron, which is raised up. The part of the wing that is located in front of the lowered aileron has increased lift. In this way, a force moment is formed, which modifies the speed of rotation of the aircraft around an axis identical to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

Story

Where did the aileron first appear? This amazing device was installed on a monoplane created in 1902 by innovator Richard Percy from New Zealand. Unfortunately, his machine made only very unstable and short flights. The one that made an absolutely coordinated flight using roll rudders was the 14 Bis machine, manufactured by Alberto Santos-Dumont. Previously, aerodynamic controls replaced the wing distortion performed by the Wright brothers.

So, let's study the aileron next. This device has many advantages. The control surface that combines the flaps and roll rudders is called a flaperon. In order for the ailerons to imitate the function of extended flaps, they are simultaneously lowered down. For long-term roll control, a simple differential rotation is added to this deflection.

To adjust the tilt of airliners with the above arrangement, a modified engine thrust vector, gas rudders, spoilers, rudder, transformation of the aircraft’s center of mass, differential displacement of the elevator control surfaces and other tricks can also be used.

Side effects

How does aileron work? This is a capricious mechanism that has some disadvantages. One of its side effects is a slight yaw in the opposite direction. In other words, when using ailerons to turn right, the plane may move slightly to the left as the bank increases. This effect occurs due to the difference in drag between the left and right wing panels, caused by the change in lift when the ailerons oscillate.

The wing console with the aileron deflected downwards has the highest drag coefficient. In current “iron bird” control systems, this side effect is reduced using various techniques. For example, in order to create a roll, the ailerons are also shifted in the opposite direction, but at unequal angles.

Reverse effect

Agree, flying an airplane requires skill. So, on high-speed cars with a significantly elongated wing, the effect of reversing the roll rudders may be noticeable. What does he look like?

If, when deflecting an aileron located close to the wingtip, a maneuvering load appears, the aircraft wing turns out and the angle of attack on it deviates. Such events can smooth out the effect obtained from the aileron displacement, or they can lead to the opposite result.

For example, if it is necessary to increase the lift of a half-wing, the aileron is deflected down. Next, an upward force begins to act on the trailing edge of the wing, the wing turns forward, and the angle of attack on it decreases, which reduces the lift force. In fact, the effect of the roll rudders on the wing during reverse is similar to the effect of the trimmer on them.

One way or another, the reverse of the roll rudders was found on many jet aircraft (especially on the Tu-134). By the way, on the Tu-22, because of this effect, the limit was reduced to 1.4. In general, pilots study aileron control for a long time. The most common methods of preventing the roll rudders from reversing are the use of aileron-interceptors (the spoilers are located near the center of the wing chord and, when extended, practically do not cause it to twist) or the installation of additional ailerons near the center section. If the second option is present, the external (located near the tips) roll rudders, necessary for productive control at low speeds, are turned off at high speeds, and lateral control is carried out due to internal ailerons, which do not reverse due to the impressive wing rigidity present in the center section area.

Control systems

Now let's look at airplane control. A group of on-board devices that guarantee the regulation of the movement of “steel birds” is called a control system. Since the pilot is located in the cockpit, and the rudders and ailerons are located on the wings and tail of the aircraft, a constructive connection is established between them. Her responsibilities include ensuring reliability, ease and efficiency of machine position control.

Of course, when the coordinating surfaces are displaced, the force affecting them increases. However, this should not lead to an unacceptable increase in voltage on the adjustment levers.

The aircraft control mode can be automatic, semi-automatic and manual. If a person uses muscular force to force the piloting instruments to work, then such a control system is called manual (direct control of the aircraft).

Manually operated systems can be hydromechanical or mechanical. In fact, we have found that the wing of an airplane plays an important role in control. By car civil aviation basic adjustment is carried out by two pilots using kinematic devices that regulate forces and movements, command double levers, mechanical wiring and control surfaces.

If the pilot controls the machine using mechanisms and devices that ensure and improve the quality of the piloting process, then the control system is called semi-automatic. Thanks to the automatic system, the pilot only controls a group of self-acting parts, which creates and changes coordinating forces and factors.

Complex

The means of basic aircraft control is a complex of on-board devices and structures with the help of which the pilot activates adjustment means that change the flight mode or balance the aircraft in a given mode. This includes rudders, ailerons, and an adjustable stabilizer. Elements that guarantee the adjustment of additional control parts (flaps, spoilers, slats) are called either auxiliary control.

The basic aircraft coordination system includes:

command levers, which the pilot operates by moving them and applying force to them;
special and automatic devices;
Pilot wiring connecting the base control systems to the command levers.

Exercising control

The pilot performs longitudinal control, that is, changes the pitch angle by deflecting the control column away from or toward himself. By turning the steering wheel to the left or right and deflecting the ailerons, the pilot implements lateral control, tilting the car in the desired direction. To move the rudder, the pilot presses the pedals, which are also used to control the front landing gear while the aircraft is moving on the ground.

In general, the pilot is the main link in manual and semi-automatic control systems, and the flaps, ailerons and other parts of the aircraft are just a method of movement. The pilot perceives and processes information about the position of the machine and rudders, the current overloads, develops a solution and acts on the command levers.

Requirements

Basic aircraft control must meet the following requirements:

When controlling the machine, the movements of the pilot's legs and arms necessary to move the command levers must coincide with the natural reflexes of a person that appear when maintaining balance. Moving the command handle in the desired direction should cause the “steel bird” to move in the same direction.
The reaction of the liner to the displacement of the command levers should have a slight delay.
At the moment of deflection of the control instruments (rudders, ailerons, and so on), the forces applied to the command handles must increase smoothly: they must be directed in the direction opposite to the movement of the handles, and the amount of labor must be coordinated with the flight mode of the machine. The latter helps the pilot gain a “feeling of control” of the aircraft.
The rudders must act independently of each other: deflection, for example, of the elevator cannot cause deflection of the ailerons, and vice versa.
The angles of displacement of the control surfaces must ensure the probability of the machine flying in all required takeoff and landing modes.

We hope this article helped you understand the purpose of ailerons and understand the basic control of “steel birds”.

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