Aircraft Primary Control

Systems

Learning Outcomes & Objective

To attain the knowledge on the aircraft
primary flight control system.
At the end of the session, the candidate
must be able to answer a short oral quiz.

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Terminologies
Angle of attack: The angle between the wing
chord line and relative airflow.

Slip or skip : Aircraft deviates outward or inward

from its turning path.
Bank: Corporate turning of the aircraft with an
inclined angle.
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Aircraft Stability and Control

An aircraft needs appropriate controllability
and the best possible stability in its flight.
Stability: resistance to change from its initial
state of motion, it refers to how an aircraft
responds to changes in angle of attack, slip or
bank from steady mode of flight.
Control: controllability or maneuverability is the
response of the control inputs from the pilot.

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Aircraft Stability and Control

The stability and control are very much
opposites.
An aircraft without sufficient stability will be
difficult, possibly even dangerous to fly. On
the other hand if the aircraft is too stable
that it cannot be controlled that will also be
dangerous.
Therefore, the design of the aircraft
becomes a compromise between control
and stability.
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Aircraft control axes

Reference frame in studying the aircraft
control and stability which is imaginary
attached to the aircraft.
These three reference axes are right
angle at each other and pass through the
centre of gravity of the aircraft.
Any motion of the aircraft can be
directional and/or rotational movements in
these axes with many possibilities of.
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Aircraft control axes

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Aircraft control terms

Pitch
Yaw
Roll

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Pitching

The motion of the aircraft rotation about the

lateral axis ( nose-up or nose-down).

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Yaw
Yaw is the rotation of an aircraft about the
vertical axis.

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Roll

The rotation of the aircraft about the

longitudinal axis.

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Primary Flight Controls

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Ailerons
Usually mounted on the TE of the wing
near the wing tip.
provide lateral (or roll) control of the
aircraft.

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Elevators
Normally attach to the rear spar of the
horizontal tailplane.
Provide longitudinal (or pitching) control of
the aircraft about the lateral axis.

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Rudder

Mounted on the vertical tailplane and

provides the directional control of the aircraft
about the vertical (or normal) axis.

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Quiz
Label Three major axes and primary
control surface systems for them in the
given diagram.

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