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How do airplanes turn?

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When you turn the yoke or deflect the stick, the ailerons move in opposite directions. This causes a gyroscopic effect, which is brought on by the pull of the Earths gravitiational field. This effect causes the airplane to become heavier on one side and that side will start to be pulled torward the center of the earth while the opposite side is actually pulled upward by gravitational forces induced by the sun. Once the ailerons are nuetralized, these two opposing gravitioional forces become equal, and the airplanes stays at a specifc bank angle. Now the airplane is set up for a turn. The airplane turns because the thrust path is now lined up with the curvature of the Earth. It's as simple as that.
 
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NYCPilot said:
I was taught to read the previous posts before reposting the same comment.
I was taught that planes turned because pilots know that you can't make straight in approach to the Pilsner Urquell.
 
I forgot all about that!

UA-RESURRECTED said:
This causes a gyroscopic effect, which is brought on by the pull of the Earths gravitiational field.

Oh right!

Thanks for reminding me.

Can you elaborate on the effect of precession and magnetic dip on the turning aircraft?

Also, how much of a factor is Coriolis Effect?
 
I once talked to a private pilot who told me that he had to keep retrimming his airplane nose down after time in cruise. He then explained that this was due to the curvature of the earth. Mybe he took his ride with this DE.
 
That is awesome! I went to space one time all I had to do was stop trimming down! That's all Rutan and those guys did.
 
mar said:
Also, how much of a factor is Coriolis Effect?

The deal with the coriolis effect, is that most props have to move in a clockwise dirrection as seen from the cockpit. If a prop was made to rotate in the opposite dirrection, the coriolis force would negate its movement, and you wouldn't get any thrust. This is why you should never fly a prop-driven aircraft across the equator. Once you're on the other side, you will lose all thrust and will fall out of the sky.
 
FN FAL said:
I was taught that planes turned because pilots know that you can't make straight in approach to the Pilsner Urquell.

Yum. Pilsner Urquell. Great beer...I know a place in Park Slope bklyn where they've got'em for only $4 - compare that to $6 a piece in Manhattan....and thats at a dive price.
 
Almerick07 said:
His answer seemed pretty clear stating the ailerons deflect the airflow either up or down either increasing or decreasing lift and they worked together to roll the airplane. He said he drew it, used a model airplane but the examiner wanted to hear the terms angle of attack and camber.
He was failed on the premise of lack of instructional knowledge by using the term deflection, the examiner said it confused him because he thought of ping pong balls. My buddy said he got a little into a changed horizontal component of lift and what not but wanted to keep it simple because the examiner said he was a student pilot.

My guess is that the discussion didn't go:

EXAMINER: How do ailerons turn the airplane?

APPLICANT: Ailerons move up and down, deflecting the air like this pretty picture and airplane indicate, and the airplane turns.

EXAMINER: You fail. You didn't say "camber" or "angle of attack".

My guess would be that the examiner asked several follow-up questions to try to get the applicant to use these terms, and the applicant just didn't pick up on it. I used to update my Jepps on the opposite side of a very thin wall from an examiner's office. It always amazed me what hints he could give as to what he was looking for, and the applicant still didn't pick up on it.

Not that I ever had this problem, mind you...no...uh-uh...well, maybe that time that he asked what equipment I needed for night flight, and he dented my head with his 2-d-cell Maglite before I figured out that he wanted me to say "flashlight" ;)

Fly safe!

David
 
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Appearantly all his follow up was....I dont understand, that is confusing, I am not getting this. I wasnt there and stories tend to get a bit skewed after a while but I know this guy and seems like how he explained it was pretty simple and clear.

I would have told the examiner to find a new interest outside of aviation and next task please
 
UA-RESURRECTED said:
you should never fly a prop-driven aircraft across the equator. Once you're on the other side, you will lose all thrust and will fall out of the sky.

If you're in the northern hemisphere flying south towards the equator, you should stop trimming the nose down to follow the curvature of the earth. This will cause you to go beyond the gravitational pull of the earth, thereby negating the coriolis effect and replacing it with coriolis force which, as we all know, is the anti-clockwise reversal of the coriolis effect. This will keep the prop turning in a clockwise direction so you can trim the nose down and continue on the other side of the equator.
 
nosehair said:


If you're in the northern hemisphere flying south towards the equator, you should stop trimming the nose down to follow the curvature of the earth. This will cause you to go beyond the gravitational pull of the earth, thereby negating the coriolis effect and replacing it with coriolis force which, as we all know, is the anti-clockwise reversal of the coriolis effect. This will keep the prop turning in a clockwise direction so you can trim the nose down and continue on the other side of the equator.

I'm so lost here

:beer: anyone?

-mini
 
NYCPilot said:
Yum. Pilsner Urquell. Great beer...I know a place in Park Slope bklyn where they've got'em for only $4 - compare that to $6 a piece in Manhattan....and thats at a dive price.

I know a bunch of places in the Czech Republic where I can get it for $1.00 per pint :beer: . The scenary is much nicer at those places than in Manhatten as well.


And everybody should know that the right way to make an airplane turn is to fail an engine on the side you want to turn towards :D .


TP
 
If you're ever around LGA in the warmer weather, there's a place nearby in Astoria called the Czech Beer Garden. It has a large outdoor seating area with picnic-type tables surrounded by tall concrete walls. They serve cheap pitchers of beer and they've also got a hamburger and hotdog stand inside as well. Prices are truely reasonable and you can knock off a few pitchers of that Pilsner too.


http://queens.about.com/od/eatingout/gr/bohemian_hall.htm
 
nosehair said:


If you're in the northern hemisphere flying south towards the equator, you should stop trimming the nose down to follow the curvature of the earth. This will cause you to go beyond the gravitational pull of the earth, thereby negating the coriolis effect and replacing it with coriolis force which, as we all know, is the anti-clockwise reversal of the coriolis effect. This will keep the prop turning in a clockwise direction so you can trim the nose down and continue on the other side of the equator.


I knew I missed that scenerio on my private written! You are correct. Anyone know what causes left-turning tendencies???
 
Bump!

bump, so that I may find this thread at the top of the general section! Plus it's a pretty funny thread!


eP.
 

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