control surface

Definition of Control Surface

A control surface on an aircraft refers to any movable part that alters the aircraft’s motion around one of the three principal axes. Examples of control surfaces include ailerons, elevators, and the rudder. Control surfaces are essential in controlling the aircraft’s attitude and directional movements during flight.

In addition to the traditional control surfaces, there are other types of innovative control surfaces developed for specific purposes. Roll spoilers dump lift on either wing and are an alternative to ailerons. Spoilerons are a combination of spoilers and ailerons, while Flaperons combine flaps and ailerons to improve aircraft performance.

Other combined controls include ruddervators, which are a combination of elevator and rudder, as seen on the “V” tailed Beech Model 35. Elevons combine elevator and ailerons, while Flailavators control both pitch and roll, as well as the flaps in the wing trailing edge control surfaces.

Apart from the primary control surfaces, there are also subsidiary controls like the pitch, roll, and rudder trim tabs. These fine-tuning controls allow pilots to adjust the aircraft’s attitude and directional movements more accurately. Additionally, the adjustable pitch tailplane, where the entire tailplane moves to trim the pitch axis, is also a control surface.

All in all, control surfaces are crucial components of an aircraft, as they enable the pilots to control the aircraft’s motion effectively during takeoff, flight, and landing.