Climbs, descents & turns.
Climbs.
The engine provides thrust, which can be divided between speed and altitude. The elevator
controls this balance by adjusting the wings' angle of attack.
Increasing the angle of attack shifts more thrust to climb while reducing airspeed
and decreasing it results in faster airspeed.
To maintain level flight, the engine's thrust must equal the drag acting on the
aircraft. A higher throttle setting allows for faster level flight or a climb, while a
reduced throttle results in descent.
Every airplane has an optimal best rate of climb (Vy), which provides the maximum altitude gain
in the shortest time, typically used after clearing obstacles during takeoff.
It also has the best angle of climb (Vx), which achieves the greatest altitude over the shortest
distance. This is useful when climbing out of restricted areas.
Since the Vx involves slower airspeeds, engine cooling may be a concern, and
this climb angle should be maintained only briefly.
As altitude increases, air density decreases, causing engine power to drop, and the climb
becomes shallower until the aircraft reaches its absolute ceiling, where no further climb is
possible.
Wind affects the angle of climb but not the rate of climb, as wind impacts only
groundspeed.
A normal climb is used during extended cruise climbs and is slightly faster than the **best rate
of climb, allowing for better engine cooling, visibility, and ease of control.
Descents.
In gliding, the engine provides no power, and the airplane relies solely on lift, drag, and weight
to maintain flight.
The glide angle chosen by the pilot determines the airspeed: a steeper angle
increases speed, while a shallower angle decreases it.
Pilots must manage this carefully to avoid excessive speed, which could damage the airframe,
or too little speed, which could result in a stall.
The best glide speed for range occurs at an airspeed that gives the maximum lift-to-drag ratio,
allowing the airplane to cover the most distance for each foot of altitude lost.
Deviating from this airspeed, whether too fast or too slow, reduces glide
efficiency.
Headwinds or tailwinds also affect glide distance, with strong headwinds
requiring a lower nose position to increase airspeed and extend range.
The best glide speed for endurance, slightly slower than the best glide for range, minimizes the
rate of descent and maximizes time aloft.
While not usually specified in aircraft manuals, this speed is important in some
situations, especially in glider flying.
Power approach.
In normal flight, gliding techniques may be combined with a power approach for landing. This
involves applying some power during descent, allowing for more control over the rate of descent
and glide path.
This method is particularly useful in gusty conditions or when landing on soft
surfaces, as it smooths out the approach and allows for better control.
Turns and load factors.
Turning the aircraft involves banking the wings, which tilts the lift force away from the vertical.
This creates a horizontal component of lift or centripetal force that turns the airplane, while the
vertical component opposes gravity.
As the bank angle increases, more lift is needed to compensate for weight and maintain altitude.
This is achieved by increasing the angle of attack.
The steeper the bank angle, the higher the lift requirement and the greater the
load factor on the airplane.
At a 60-degree bank, the load factor doubles, making the airplane feel twice as heavy. This
increases structural stress and the stall speed.
Sharp maneuvers or steep banks can significantly increase the load factor,
risking structural failure if limits are exceeded.
Pilots must be cautious of abrupt control inputs during turns to avoid excessive load factors.
