| Ailerons are primary flight control surfaces that are | | | | Ailerons come in several forms. They may be: |
| mounted on the outboard trailing edge of the wings. | | | | Differential Ailerons - The upward moving aileron is |
| They control roll (bank) about the longitudinal | | | | raised a greater distance than the other one is |
| axis.They are connected by cables, bellcranks, pulleys, | | | | lowered. This produces more drag on the wing which |
| and/or push-pull tubes to the control wheel or control | | | | is lowered. Frise-Type Ailerons - When an aileron is |
| stick. When one aileron is deflected upwards, the | | | | deflected upwards, the leading edge of it projects |
| other one moves down. The one that moves | | | | downwards beneath the wing. This creates drag and |
| upwards is always the one in which you point the top | | | | helps to equalize the drag created on the lowered |
| of the control wheel towards. When you move the | | | | wing. Coupled Ailerons and Rudder - Ailerons and |
| control wheel to the right, the right aileron is | | | | rudder are linked by interconnect springs. These |
| deflected up and the left is deflected down. When | | | | springs automatically deflect the rudder appropriately |
| you move the control wheel to the left, the left | | | | when the ailerons are deflected. Flaperons - Ailerons |
| aileron is deflected up and thus the right is deflected | | | | and flaps are combined. When a pilot wants to roll, |
| down. | | | | flaperons function in much the same way as ailerons. |
| When an aileron is deflected up, it decreases camber, | | | | When the same pilot wants to add flaps, they |
| which then decreases lift. When it is deflected down, | | | | function accordingly. All four of these types of |
| it does the opposite. | | | | ailerons are designed to reduce the effects of |
| So when you turn the control wheel to the right, the | | | | adverse yaw. Adverse Yaw is the tendency of the |
| right aileron goes up and decreases lift on that side. | | | | aircraft to yaw towards the outside of a turn. When |
| The left one goes down, increasing lift on the left | | | | the descending aileron increases lift, it also produces |
| side, which then causes the plane to roll to the right. | | | | more induced drag as a by-product. This drag creates |
| An exercise you can do to understand this better is | | | | the tendency for the nose to want to move |
| to put your hand out the window while you are | | | | towards the opposite direction of the roll. This should |
| driving. Pretend your fingertips are the hinge | | | | be corrected when turning by applying rudder on the |
| connecting the aileron to the wing. When you tilt | | | | side of the turn. |
| your hand up (aileron deflected down), you can see | | | | When you turn right, adverse yaw causes the |
| how lift and drag is increased - your hand moves up | | | | airplane to yaw left, so add right rudder. When you |
| and back. When you tilt your hand down (aileron | | | | turn left, add left rudder. |
| deflected up), your hand moves down and forward. | | | | |