Lesson 2 - Secondary effects of controls

This lesson was to look at the secondary effects of the controls. Tim took me through what we were going to cover in the lesson in the briefing room beforehand, then we went out to the aircraft to fly the lesson.

First off, however, Tim took me through using the checklist to do the pre-flight checks. There are 3 pages dedicated to checking the aircraft before we even get in it. The most strenuous of these was that, to check the fuel, you shouldn't really believe the fuel gauges, but it is required to visually check the level of fuel. There are two tanks, one in each wing, joined in the middle. To see the contents of the tank, you need to step onto a little step on the side of the aircraft, hoist yourself up using a handle on the front fuselage and then rest your spare foot on a small step on the wing strut! Thank goodness I am tall: if I was this unfit and short, I would never manage it!

The weather was a bit grim, but Tim deemed it sufficient to fly in. He did say he didn't want to spoil me by providing excellent flying days, so early in my flying career...!

In the air, we flew to the practice area to the north of Southend, over the river Blackwater, centering all our practice over Osea Island. We reviewed the primary effect of the controls, then moved into the secondary effects of controls.

For this, Tim demonstrated, with me following the controls with fingertips, then trying the manoeuver myself. The secondary affect is the response of the aircraft, if the controls are left in the position, with no other control input once the primary affect is acheived.

For example, by using the rudder pedals (which I could now feel without my wallet in my back pocket!) I yawed the aircraft to the left, with no other control input, after yawing the aircraft began to roll to the left. This is for two aerodynamic reasons, firstly by yawing to the left, the starboard wing moves forward quicker through the airflow than the port wing, which therefore produces more lift on the starboard wing. Secondly, the port wing is sheilded from the airflow to some extent, by the fuselage, which reduces the lift on the port wing. Less lift on port, more lift on starboard means a roll to the right.

The secondary effect of roll is yaw. This is because as the aircraft is banked, it begins to slip sideways, as it slips the fin causes more drag to the rear of the aircraft and therefore yaws the aircraft in the same direction as the bank.

As we were finishing the lesson, it began to rain, so we headed back to the airport and landed.

Another good lesson - I'm really enjoying this!

Stats at end of lesson
Description	Hours as PUT	Hours as P1	Take Offs	Landings
Lesson	0:55	0:00	0	0
Total	1:55	0:00	0	0