Turn Fundamentals

Arguably the most challenging of all the Wright Brothers multiple successes involved mastering roll control. Pitch and yaw came relatively easy, but absent the ability to command a roll for a coordinated turn, aviation could go nowhere-at least nowhere near the intended heading. Their solution-wing warping-allowed for affirmative roll control and completed their mastery over all three axes.

D Higdon

Monday, May 16, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Mastering turn control, initially a challenge overcome by the Wright Brothers with wing warping, is a fundamental and frequently misunderstood aspect of aviation that requires precise coordination of all flight axes.
Poor turn control is a leading cause of Loss-of-Control Accidents (LOCA), particularly dangerous stall/spin incidents, which are a major contributor to aviation fatalities.
Safe and effective turns demand consistent practice of coordinated control inputs (pitch, roll, yaw, and power), an understanding of how aircraft design influences turn characteristics, and awareness of increased stall speeds in steeper banks.

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Arguably the most challenging of all the Wright Brothers’ multiple successes involved mastering roll control. Pitch and yaw came relatively easy, but absent the ability to command a roll for a coordinated turn, aviation could go nowhere—at least nowhere near the intended heading. Their solution—wing warping—allowed for affirmative roll control and completed their mastery over all three axes.

Of course, warping isn’t the most mechanically efficient way to change a wing’s shape. Hence, ailerons evolved, along with other devices, to change the shape of a wing and use the new configuration to control the airplane’s direction. Turns of almost any bank angle are complex, shifting load vectors as they alter the direction of flight. Turns are not only a fundamental of flight and the most-common maneuver—they are commonly misunderstood.