The stabilizer of the aircraft. General device and aircraft control

What do we know about the aircraft stabilizer? Most of the inhabitants simply shrug their shoulders. Those who loved physics at school might be able to say a few words, but, of course, experts will most likely answer this question. Meanwhile, this is a very important part, without which the flight is virtually impossible.

The basic structure of the aircraft

If you ask to draw several adult airliners, the pictures will be approximately the same and will differ only in details. The airplane layout will most likely look like this: cabin, wings, fuselage, interior and so-called tail fin. Someone will draw portholes, and someone will forget about them, perhaps some more trifles will be missed. Perhaps, the artists will not even be able to answer what particular details are needed for, we just do not think about it, although we see planes quite often, both live and in pictures, in the movies and just on TV. And this, in fact, is the basic arrangement of the aircraft - the rest, in comparison with this, is just a trifle. The fuselage and wings serve for proper lifting of the airliner into the air, the cockpit is controlled, and passengers or cargo are in the cabin. Well, what about the tail fins, what is it for? Not for beauty after all?

Tail tail

Those who drive a car, perfectly know how to go aside: you just need to turn the steering wheel, after which the wheels will move. But the plane is quite another matter, because there are no roads in the air, and some other mechanisms are needed for control. Here, pure science comes into play: a large number of different forces act on the flying machine, and those that are useful are amplified, and the rest is minimized, as a result of which a certain balance is reached.

Probably, almost everyone who saw an airliner in his life paid attention to the complicated design in his tail part - the plumage. It is this relatively small part, oddly enough, that controls all this giant machine, forcing it not only to turn, but also to gain or drop height. It consists of two parts: vertical and horizontal, which, in turn, also divide in two. The helm is also two: one serves to set the direction of movement, and the other - the height. In addition, there is also a part by means of which the longitudinal stability of the airliner is achieved.

By the way, the stabilizer of the aircraft can be located not only in its rear part. But more on this later.

Stabilizer

The modern scheme of the aircraft provides many details necessary to maintain the safety of the airliner and its passengers at all stages of the flight. And, perhaps, the main one is the stabilizer located at the rear of the structure. It is, in fact, just a bar, so it's amazing how such a relatively small detail can in any way affect the movement of a huge airliner. But it really is very important - when this part breaks down, the flight can end very tragically. For example, according to the official version, it was the aircraft stabilizer that caused the recent collapse of the passenger Boeing in Rostov-on-Don. In the opinion of international experts, the discrepancy in the actions of the pilots and the error of one of them activated one of the parts of the tail, putting the stabilizer in a position characteristic of the peak. The crew simply did not manage to do anything to prevent a collision. Fortunately, aircraft construction does not stand still, and each subsequent flight gives less space for the human factor.

Functions

As the name implies, the aircraft stabilizer serves to control its movement. By compensating and dampening some peaks and vibrations, it makes the flight smoother and safer. Since the deviations are in both the vertical and horizontal axes, the stabilizer is also controlled in two directions - therefore, it consists of two parts. They can have a very different design, depending on the type and purpose of the aircraft, but in any case are present on any modern aircraft.

Horizontal part

It is responsible for balancing vertically, not allowing the machine now and then to "nod", and consists of two main parts. The first of these is a fixed surface, which, in fact, is the stabilizer of the aircraft's altitude. On the hinge to this part is attached the second - the steering wheel providing control.

In the normal aerodynamic scheme, the horizontal stabilizer is located in the tail. However, there are also structures when it is in front of the wing or there are two of them - in front and behind. There are also so-called "tailless" or "flying wing" schemes, which generally do not have horizontal plumage.

Vertical part

This part provides the aircraft with the stability of the direction in flight, not allowing it to wag from side to side. This is also a compound design, which provides a fixed vertical stabilizer of the aircraft, or keel, as well as a rudder on the hinge.

This part, like the wing, depending on the purpose and the required characteristics, can have a variety of shapes. Diversity is also achieved by differences in the relative position of all surfaces and the addition of additional parts, such as the forkill or the ventral ridge.

Shape and mobility

Perhaps the most popular in civil aviation now is the T-shaped plumage, in which the horizontal part is at the end of the keel. However, there are some others.

For some time V-shaped plumage was used, in which both parts simultaneously performed both horizontal and vertical functions. Complex management and relatively small efficiency did not allow this option to spread widely.

In addition, there is a spaced vertical tail plane, in which its parts can be on either side of the fuselage and even on the wings.

As for mobility, usually the stabilizing surfaces are rigidly fixed relative to the body. Nevertheless, there are options, especially when it comes to horizontal plumage.

If you can change the angle relative to the longitudinal axis on the ground, a stabilizer of this type is called interchangeable. If the control of the aircraft stabilizer can also take place in the air, it will be mobile. This is typical for heavy airliners in need of additional balancing. Finally, on supersonic cars, a mobile stabilizer of the aircraft is used, which also plays the role of elevator.