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Old July 31st 06, 08:55 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
Stubby
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Posts: 117
Default Mounting a turn coordinator on the tail?



Ron Natalie wrote:
Stubby wrote:
What causes a plane to turn is the horizontal component of the lift
vector. It certainly does not depend on the turn coordinator.
What counts is the center of gravity of the plane, not the tail.


...opinion deleted...


While the horizontal component of lift is what pulls
you to the interior of the turn, the tail is VERY important to
actually "turn" the aircraft direction so that the horizontal
component continually gets pointed to the center of the turn.

The elevator/rudder mechanism is for applying the torques to the plane
so it rolls and yaws. Also, as I remember from the first day of
physics class, a physical body behaves as a point mass at the center of
gravity with 3 translational forces and 3 rotational torques that can be
applied to it.

The horizontal component of lift behaves like a string tied to a rock
being swung around. The string does indeed apply force to the center of
gravity of the rock and "points" to the center of the turn. If you put
a paint spot on the rock and want to make the spot always face you, the
rock will have to yaw at the same rate as you are rotating it around
you; consequently something like a rudder will be needed.