Which control surface, usually hinged to the tail, induces a pitching moment around the lateral axis by moving up or down?

Which control surface, usually hinged to the tail, induces a pitching moment around the lateral axis by moving up or down?

• A. Ailerons
• B. Rudder
• C. Flaps
• D. Elevators

Answer: (D)

Elevators are the tail-mounted surface that directly controls pitch. They’re hinged to the horizontal stabilizer at the tail, and when they move up or down, they change the tail’s angle of attack. This change alters the tail’s lift (or downward force), creating a moment about the aircraft’s lateral axis that raises or lowers the nose. Ailerons, by contrast, are on the wings and control roll about the longitudinal axis; the rudder on the vertical tail controls yaw about the vertical axis; flaps on the wings mainly affect lift and descent during takeoff and landing. So the surface that induces a pitching moment by moving up or down is the elevator.

Elevators are the tail-mounted surface that directly controls pitch. They’re hinged to the horizontal stabilizer at the tail, and when they move up or down, they change the tail’s angle of attack. This change alters the tail’s lift (or downward force), creating a moment about the aircraft’s lateral axis that raises or lowers the nose. Ailerons, by contrast, are on the wings and control roll about the longitudinal axis; the rudder on the vertical tail controls yaw about the vertical axis; flaps on the wings mainly affect lift and descent during takeoff and landing. So the surface that induces a pitching moment by moving up or down is the elevator.