What Are the Rectangular Things on My Cessna Skylane Elevators?

Airplanes use two types of control-surface balance: aerodynamic and mass.

Peter Garrison

Wednesday, June 07, 2023 at 10:57 AM ET

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A Cessna 182T Turbo Skylane. [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

The rectangular projections on aircraft control surfaces, like those on a Cessna Skylane, are called "balances" and are designed to improve control and prevent structural damage.
There are two main types of balance: aerodynamic balance, which places surface area ahead of the hinge to reduce pilot control forces, and mass balance, which protects against dangerous flutter.
Mass balance often involves a weighted projection (horn) positioned ahead of the hinge line to counteract oscillations, preventing unwanted forces that could lead to flutter and potentially damage the aircraft.

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Question: What are the rectangular things sticking forward at the tips of the elevators on my Cessna Skylane? Why don’t other airplanes have them?

Answer: The forward projections are balances. Actually, lots of airplanes have them, Beechcraft Bonanzas and Cirruses, for example, but they don’t all look the same.

Airplanes use two types of control-surface balance: aerodynamic and mass. Aerodynamic balance means putting some of the surface area ahead of the hinge axis to reduce control forces for the pilot. The faster the airplane, the greater the need for this type of balance.