Aircraft attitude

Information about Aircraft attitude

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Aircraft attitude is used to mean two closely related aspects of the situation of an aircraft in flight.

In the simplest use it is the orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon. This is a function of two angles: pitch and roll. The pitch angle specifies the orientation of the aircraft's longitudinal axis, that is, whether the nose is pointing upwards, is level to the horizon, or is pointing downwards. The roll angle specifies whether the aircraft is banked left or right, or whether its wings are parallel to the horizon. The pilot adjusts the controls (the stick or the yoke) to adjust the aircraft attitude in order to keep the aircraft on course or turn or change altitude.

Aircraft attitude is used to describe the more complex relation of an aircraft to its surroundings, particularly airflow and gravity. This takes into account the settings of other flight controls such as the rudder, engine power, flaps or slats and also airflow. Thus an aircraft can be described as being in a climb attitude or a spin attitude, which implies more than simply nose up or nose down.
Enlarge picture
737 aircraft going from nose up to nose down attitudes

List of possible attitudes

  • straight and level (cruise)
  • climbing
  • descending
  • takeoff
  • land

Turns

  • coordinated banked turn
  • climbing coordinated banked turn
  • descending coordinated banked turn
  • slipping turn
  • skidding turn

Unusual attitudes

See also

Orientation may refer to:
  • Orientation (mental), a function of the mind
  • Orientation (physical), determining ones location in ones surroundings
  • Orientation (film), a 1996 short film produced by the Church of Scientology

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aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly through the air (or through any other atmosphere). All the human activity which surrounds aircraft is called aviation. (Most rocket vehicles are not aircraft because they are not supported by the surrounding air).
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horizon (Ancient Greek ὁ ὁρίζων, /ho horídzôn/, from ὁρίζειν, "to limit") is the line that separates earth from sky.
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angle (in full, plane angle) is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle. The magnitude of the angle is the "amount of rotation" that separates the two rays, and can be measured by considering the length of circular arc swept
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The term, longitudinal means "along the major (or long) axis" as opposed to latitudinal which means "along the width", transverse, or across.
  • In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine

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This article is about rotation as a movement of a physical body. For other uses, see Rotation (disambiguation).
A rotation is a movement of an object in a circular motion.
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Parallel is a term in geometry and in everyday life that refers to a property in Euclidean space of two or more lines or planes, or a combination of these. The existence and properties of parallel lines are the basis of Euclid's parallel postulate.
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Aircraft flight controls allow a pilot to adjust and control the aircraft's flight attitude.

Development of an effective set of flight controls was a critical advance in the development of the aircraft.
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rudder is a device used to steer ships, boats, submarines, aircraft, hovercraft or other conveyances that move through air or water. Rudders operate by re-directing the flow of air or water past the hull or fuselage, thus imparting a turning or yawing motion to the craft.
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flaps and leading edge flaps (slats) fully extended on a Boeing 747 for landing.]]

Flaps are hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft. As flaps are extended the stalling speed of the aircraft is reduced.
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Slats is also a nickname for Australian cricketer Michael Slater, and NHL executive Glen Sather
Slats are small aerodynamic surfaces on the leading edge of the wings of fixed-wing aircraft which, when deployed, allow the wing to operate at a higher
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Dive (and diving) is a word that can have several meanings:

In the context of aquatics:
  • Underwater diving refers to the practice of swimming underwater
  • Scuba diving refers to the practice of swimming underwater with breathing apparatus.

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In aviation, aircraft compass turns are turns made in an aircraft using only a magnetic compass for guidance.

Description

A magnetic compass aboard an aircraft displays the current magnetic heading of the aircraft, i.e.
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Attitude control is control of the orientation of a spacecraft, or other flight vehicle, either relative to the celestial sphere or to a gravitating body influencing its flight path.
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For the dynamics of flight, see Flight dynamics.


Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics is a subdivision of the aerospace giant Rockwell Collins. They manufacture and develop heads-up displays for civilian applications.
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The Weathervane Effect is a phenomenon in flight that causes most airplanes to turn (yaw) when banked. A banked plane will tend to slide to the banked side. Most airplanes have more area (and hence more resistance to sliding) aft of the center of gravity, causing the airplane to
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