Rusty |
September 26, 2010 04:11 PM |
Banking an airplane is always a lateral move (one wing is tipped lower than the other). This is done when turning the aircraft. The airelons on the wings are the control surfaces used to bank, or roll, a plane. The rudder is also used in a turn. To make a left-hand turn, the left wing is banked (lowered), and left rudder is applied. This causes the rear of the aircraft to swing to the right and the plane pivots on the lowered wing, causing a comfortable turn to the left while maintaining center of gravity. If center of gravity isn't maintained, there is either too much yaw (rudder pressure) or too much roll. Either of these can cause passenger discomfort.
The verb 'bank' can also mean a vertical slope, but this meaning is not applied to aircraft. For that, we use the verb 'pitch'. A plane can pitch up (climbing) or it can pitch down (descending). The control surface that controls a plane's pitch is the elevator.
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