UNIT 4

Flight Control Surfaces

Task 4.1. Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. What are the flight control surfaces designed for?

2. What parts does the primary group include?
3. Where are the ailerons and elevators operated from?
4. How is rudder operated?
5. What is the function of the lowered aileron?
6. What direction does the increased drag try to turn the aircraft in?

PRIMARY GROUP

The flight control surfaces are hinged or movable airfoils designed to change the attitude of the
aircraft during flight. These surfaces may be divided into three groups, usually referred to as
the primary group, secondary group, and auxiliary group.

The primary group includes the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. The ailerons and elevators are
generally operated from the cockpit by control stick on single engine aircraft and by wheel and
yoke assembly on multi-engine aircraft. The rudder is operated by foot pedals on all types of
aircraft. The ailerons from a part of the wing and are located on the trailing edge of the wing
toward the tips. Ailerons are movable surfaces of an otherwise fixed-surface wing. They respond
to side pressure applied to the control stick. Pressure applied to move the stick toward the right
raises the right aileron and lowers the left aileron, causing aircraft to bank to the right. Ailerons
are linked together by control cables so that when one aileron is down, the opposite aileron is
up. The function of the lowered aileron is to increase lift by increasing the wing camber. At the
same time, the down aileron also creates some additional drag since it is in the area of high
pressure below the wing. The up aileron, on the opposite end of the wing, decreases lift on the
end of the wing. As a result, drag is also increased. Since the ailerons are used with the rudder
when making turns, the increased drag tries to turn the aircraft in the direction opposite to that
desired. To avoid this undesirable effect, aircraft are often designed with differential travel of
ailerons. It provides more ailerons up travel than down travel for a given movement of the
control stick or wheel in the cockpit.

Task 4.2. Match the words (1-9) with their definitions (a-i).

1. Yoke A. A piece of metal, plastic, etc. on which something moves freely

2. Aileron B. An enclosed area in a plane where the pilot sits
3. Differential C. A crossbar on the head of the rudder to permit the steering from
forward
4. Elevator D. A part of wing of a plane used to control plane’s balance
5. Hinge E. The rise of the curve of an airfoil
6. Drag F. A piece of wood or metal at the back of an aircraft used to control its
direction
7. Cockpit G. A part in the tail of an aircraft used to control its direction
8. Rudder H. Not equal
9. Camber I. The force of the air that acts against the movement of an aircraft
Task 4.3. Complete the sentences with the missing prepositions.

1. The down aileron is in the area of high pressure ……………. The wing.
2. The elevators are operated …………..the cockpit.
3. The surfaces are divided ……….three groups.
4. The ailerons are operated by a wheel ……multi-engine aircraft.
5. The control stick is ……….the cockpit.
6. …….the same time the down aileron creates some additional drag.
7. The ailerons are located in the trailing edge of the wing……………the tips.
8. The groups are usually referred …….as the primary group, secondary group and
auxiliary group.
9. The function of the lowered aileron is to increase the lift ……..increasing the wing
camber.

Task 4.4 Read the text and answer the questions.

1. What are the ailerons hinged to?

2. Do ailerons operate in the same direction?
3. What does the aileron increase when it moves downwards?
4. What happens when the aileron moves upward?
5. What do all lateral control systems provide during low-speed flight?
6. Do aileron balance panels increase or decrease the force necessary to position the
ailerons?

Ailerons are primary control surfaces which make up part of the total wing area. They are
moveable through a pre-designed arc and are usually hinged to the aileron spar or rear wing
spar. The ailerons are operated by a lateral (side-to-side) movement of the aircraft control stick,
or a turning motion of the wheel on the yoke.

In conventional configuration, one aileron is hinged to the outboard trailing edge of each wing.
The ailerons are interconnected in the control system to operate simultaneously in opposite
directions. As one aileron moves downward to increase lift on its side of the fuselage, the aileron
on the opposite side moves upward to decrease lift on its side. The opposing action results in
more lift being produced by the wing on one side of the fuselage than on the other, resulting in
a controlled movement or roll due to unequal aerodynamic forces on the wings.

The complex lateral control system in large turbo-jet aircraft is far more sophisticated than the
type employed in a light airplane. During low-speed flight all lateral control surfaces operate to
provide maximum stability. This includes all four ailerons, flaps and spoilers. At high speeds,
flaps are retracted and outboard ailerons are locked out of the aileron control system.

The major part of the skin area of the inboard ailerons is aluminum honeycomb panels. The
aileron nose tapers and extends forward of the aileron hinge line. Each inboard aileron is
positioned between the inboard and outboard flaps at the trailing edge of the wing. The aileron
hinge supports extend aft and are attached to aileron hinge bearings to support the ailerons.

The outboard ailerons are located in the trailing edge of each outboard wing section. Hinge
supports extend aft from the wing and are attached to the aileron hinge bearing to support the
aileron. The nose of aileron extends into a balance camber in the wing and is attached to balance
panels.

Aileron balance panels reduce the force necessary to position and hold the ailerons. The
increasing load on the balance panel counteracts the increasing load on the ailerons.
Task 4.5. Find the words in the text that have the same meaning.

1. A structure that supports the wing of an aircraft –

2. Normal and ordinary –
3. To do something to reduce or prevent the bad or harmful effects of something –
4. Part of a circle or a curved line –
5. To become gradually narrower –
6. A part of machine that supports a moving part, especially one that is turning –
7. Having the structure of a honeycomb –
8. On, towards or near the outside of an aircraft –
9. Connected with the side of something –
10. Located nearer to the center –
11. A part of the wing of an aircraft that can be raised or lowered to control movement –
12. A part of an aircraft’s wing to slow the aircraft’s speed –

Task 4.6. Read the text about the Auxiliary group and answer the questions.

1. What does the auxiliary group of flight control include?

2. What increases lift on takeoff?
3. What do flaps decrease during landing?
4. Are airfoils retractable?
5. What is extended from the leading edge of the wing?
6. What is a slot?

The auxiliary group of flight control includes the wing flaps, spoilers, speed brakes, slats,
leading edge flaps and slots.

The trailing edge airfoils or flaps increase the wing area thereby increasing lift on takeoff and
decrease the speed during landing. These airfoils are retractable and fair into the wing contour.
Others are simply a portion of the lower skin which extends into the airstream thereby slowing
the aircraft.

Leading edge flaps are airfoils extended from and retracted into the leading edge of the wing.
Some installations create a slot. It is an opening between the extended airfoil and the leading
edge. The flap and slot create additional lift and slower speeds of takeoff and landing. Other
installations have permanent slots built in the leading edge of the wing. At cruising speeds, the
trailing edge and the leading edge are retracted into the wing proper.

Lift decreasing devices are the speed brakes (spoilers). In some installations, there are two types
of spoilers. The ground spoiler is extended only after the aircraft is on the ground thereby
assisting in the braking actin. The flight spoiler assists in lateral control by being extended
whenever the aileron on that wing is rotated up. When actuated as speed brakes, the spoiler
panels on both wings raise up. This provides speed brake operation and later control
simultaneously.

Slats are movable control surfaces attached to the leading edges of the wings. When in the open
position (extended forward), a slot is created between the slat and the wing leading edge. At low
airspeeds this increases lift and improves handling characteristics, allowing the aircraft to be
controlled at the airspeeds below the otherwise normal landing speed.

Task 4.7. Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions and replace the words they with correct
structural parts.
 1. They increase lift ………….takeoff.
2. They fair ………..the wing contour.
3. They are retracted ……….the leading edge of the wing.
4. They create additional lift……..slower speeds.
5. They assist……….lateral control.
6. They raise up………..both wings.
7. They are attached……..the leading edges of the wings.
8. They are created………..the slats and the leading edges of the wings.

Task 4.8. Find words in the text and match them with their definitions.

1. Acceptable/ appropriate –
2. A long narrow opening, into which you put or fit something –
3. The outer edges of something; the outline of its shape or form –
4. To make a machine or device start to work -
5. To control a vehicle –
6. To travel at a steady speed or altitude –
7. A layer that covers the outside of something –
8. Happening or done at the same time as something else –
9. To move or turn around a central fixed point –

Task 4.9. Read the text Auxiliary Wing Flight Surfaces and define the words in bold. You may
want to use a good English-English dictionary.

The ailerons are the primary wing flight surfaces. Auxiliary wing flight surfaces include
trailing edge flaps, leading edge flaps, speed brakes, spoilers, and leading edge slats.

Wing flaps are used to give the aircraft extra lift. They reduce the landing speed, thereby
shortening the length of the landing rollout to facilitate landing in small or obstructed areas by
permitting the gliding angle to be increased without greatly increasing the approach speed. In
addition, the use of flaps during takeoff reduces takeoff run.

Most flaps are hinged to the lower trailing edges of the wings, inboard of ailerons. Leading edge
flaps are also used, principally on large high-speed aircraft. When they are retracted, they fair
in the wings and serve as part of the wing trailing edge. When they are extended, they pivot on
the hinge points and drop to about 40-50 degrees angle with the chord line. This increases
the wing camber and changes the airflow, providing greater lift.

Speed brakes, sometimes called dive flaps or dive brakes, serve to slow the aircraft in flight.
These brakes are used when descending at a steep angle or when approaching the runway for
landing. The brakes themselves are manufactured in many shapes, and their location depends
on the design of the aircraft and the purpose of brakes.

The brake panels may be located on certain parts of the fuselage or on the wing surfaces.
Brakes on the fuselage are small panels that can be extended into smooth airflow to create
turbulence and drag. Wing type brakes may be multiple-finger channels extending above and
below the wing surfaces to break up smooth airflow. Usually speed brakes are controlled by
hydraulic pressure. Another type of air brake is a combination of spoilers and speed brakes. A
typical combination consists of spoiler flaps located in the upper wing surfaces ahead of the
ailerons. Spoilers are auxiliary wing flight control surfaces, mounted on the upper surface of
each wing, which operate in conjunction with the ailerons to provide lateral control. Most spoiler
systems can also be extended symmetrically to serve a secondary function as speed brakes.
Other systems are equipped with separate ground and flight spoilers. They are attached to the
wing with aluminum skin. They are attached to the wing structure by machined hinge
fittings which are bonded into the spoiler panel.

The slats move out from the front of wings to make the wing space larger.

Task 4.10. Match the numbers to the letters.

1. Airflow a. The rise of a curve of an airfoil

2. Obstruct b. To make an action or a process possible or easier
3. Chord c. An act of suddenly flying downwards
4. Camber d. Rising or falling quickly, not gradually
5. Facilitate e. To turn or balance on a central point
6. Steep f. Air currents caused by a moving aircraft
7. Dive g. To block a road, etc. so that people cannot get through
8. Pivot h. A straight line joining the trailing and leading edges of an airfoil
section

Task 4.11. Choose the right words from task 4.10 to complete the sentences.

1. First check that the accident ………..the runway.

2. Windows that …………………from a central point are easy to clean.
3. Computers can be used ………….simulating.
4. The seagulls soared then …………….. .
5. The pilot was forced to make a ……………….. descent.

GRAMMAR NOTE

Task 4.12. Complex prepositions. Some prepositions consist of one word (e.g. in, between).
Complex prepositions can consist of:

- Two words (e.g. regardless of);

- Three words (e.g. …………………………..);
- Or four words (e.g. with the exception of).

Find a three-word complex preposition in the paragraph below.

As potentially environmentally sustainable commodities, the enthusiasm for plant-delivered

products is understandable. Tantalizingly, they might offer a way out of the zero-sum game
between economic growth and environmental protection. In principle, a deeper understanding
of plants and other living systems could allow us to better manage the earth’s resources for both
environmental and economic ends. But are we likely to reach such a win-win situation? The re-
valuing of plants in terms of their technological potential is exposing tensions among the many
different systems to which plants contribute. Demand for land, water and biomass resources is
intensifying, with consequences (notably, higher food prices) that are being felt by all. If current
developments are anything to go by, the politics of plants will quickly become increasingly
complicated.

Task 4.13. Sentences 1-12 include a two-, three-, or four-word complex preposition. The last word
of each is missing. Complete them, using a dictionary to help you.

For from of on to with

1. Fees at private schools can vary widely depending …..the status of the school.
2. Our findings are broadly in line ………previous research.
3. The children built shapes with ten cubes that were identical except …..their color.
4. Figure 8.1 lists procedures to be followed by tutors in the event ……an emergency in the
laboratory.
5. The recent government policies have increased differences among groups with regard
…..income and wealth.
6. In general, the teachers felt that, apart ……a few exceptions, descriptive statistics do not
pose particular learning problems.
7. A memory-image - as distinct ……. a daydream, for instance - is a visualization of what
was actually witnessed.
8. The family, as I define it here, comprises a husband and wife, with or without never-
married children, irrespective ………their age.
9. Subjects completed the two relevant questionnaires along ……..several other, unrelated
experimental tasks.
10. The results from this study indicate that, contrary ….expectations, a large majority of
test-takers had either high familiarity (50%) or moderate familiarity (34%) with
computers.
11. Recent analysis suggests that the daily temperature range has decreased as a result …..
urbanization.
12. Employees believed that they owe their employer certain contributions (e.g. hard work,
loyalty) in return ….. certain believes (e.g. high pay, job security).