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Trimming for Speed and Performance

Posted: 03 Dec 2008, 06:49
by Buffalo Six
After last nights mission and listening to some of the problems people were having, I have decided to post some items that may help you guys get more out of the planes we fly.

This is from the flight training section over at the 352nd VFG that I also am flying with. Rambling Jack is the training guy and he's a current charter pilot flying in Nevada. Its good advice and has helped me get more out of the planes.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about trimming your aircraft.

An aircraft, any aircraft, is designed to fly most of the time in a cruise configuration with cruise power settings. So when an aircraft is designed it is designed to take into account the effects of engine torque and propeller slipstream. Just a refresher, engine torque is the force that wants to turn the airplane in the opposite direction that the engine and propeller are turning. Most American airplanes have the engine turning the prop to the right which makes the airplane want to roll to the left. Propeller slipstream is the corkscrew effect of the airflow caused by the propeller moving massive amounts of air back over the airplane. Viewing the plane from the rear, visualize the swirl of air moving back and striking the left side of the horizontal stabilizer. It is the same as having a hand pushing on the left side of the tail and forcing it to the right which in turn forces the nose of the airplane to the left.

Now if an airplane is to spend the bulk of it’s time at cruise with the appropriate power setting, the aircraft has to be designed to compensate for these two “left turning tendenciesâ€