Barnaby Wainfan

This month Barnaby Wainfan turns his attention to the control system and how various aspects such as linkages, the elevator planform and tail aspect ratio, and trailing-edge treatments affect pitch control.

The diagnosis of pitch sensitivity problems boils down to one of two things: too little static margin or control system problems. This month we discuss how to modify the airplane to fix them;

This month we use the accumulated flight-test data to determine what exactly is causing the unacceptable flying qualities of the airplane so that the best way to fix the problem can be identified;

The perils of PIO;

Its an age-old duality: stability versus maneuverability. Many factors go into developing and building any aircraft, and the designers choices will affect a pilots workload, for good or ill. Among the topics discussed are trim, pitch stability and yaw stability;

The author discusses the theory and effect of constant-speed propellers on piston-engine airplane performance, and compares fixed-pitch versus constant-speed props, effect on thrust HP and propulsion, the comprises involved in choosing a prop, how props perform in various conditions and phases of flight, how variable-pitch props work, and why a constant-speed prop is the best choice for high-performance aircraft.