Principles of Flight - Secondary Flight Controls (1)

Apart from aileron, elevator and rudder, there are also secondary flight controls which help with different maneuvers and improve performance.

Principles of Flight - Adverse Yaw

Have you ever heard of "Adverse Yaw"? When I was studying, I was confused by the difference of adverse yaw and the secondary effect of roll.

Principles of Flight - Secondary Effects

When we roll or yaw an aircraft, there is secondary effects accompany. Pilots should learn about those secondary effects in order to better control the aircraft.

Principles of Flight - Primary Flight Controls (2)

Previously, we have talked about how to manipulate different control surfaces. But why would the deflection of control surfaces (e.g. aileron, elevator and rudder) lead to certain flight movements? Let's further explore it !

Principles of Flight - Primary Flight Controls (1)

All maneuvers are done based on different combinations of primary flight movement including Roll, Pitch and Yaw.

Principles of Flight - Thrust (2)

Jet engines are also called gas turbines.

Principles of Flight - Thrust (1)

Thrust is the last force to cover. It is the forward-moving force and parallel to the flight path. Such force is produced by the engines. 

Principles of Flight - Drag (3)

The amount of Induced Drag and Parasite Drag change differently when speed increases.

Principles of Flight - Drag (2)

Another type of induced drag is called Parasite Drag. It includes (1) Form Drag, (2) Interference Drag and (3) Skin Friction Drag.

Principles of Flight - Drag (1)

Drag is the force opposite to the forward moving Thrust (i.e. flight direction). There are two types of drag - Induced Drag and Parasite Drag.

Principles of Flight - Weight

Right...so...I have already covered how Lift is generated in the "Why can airplanes fly?" post. Today let's talk about its opposite force - Weight. 

Principles of Flight - Four Forces of Flight (2)

Speaking of four forces, you may notice from the below diagram that they are not lie on the same point. 

Principles of Flight - Four Forces of Flight (1)

Aerodynamic Force refers to the relative motion between the aircraft and the air surrounding it. It can be simplified into Four Forces : Lift, Weight, Thrust and Drag.

Principles of Flight - Why can airplanes fly?

This is perhaps the most fundamental question that any aviation enthusiast needs to understand.