Lee Child - Reality check

[John C Flett]

I've just finished reading Lee Child - Running Blind and there was a paragraph that bothered me;

 

"The plane was on descent. Reacher could feel it in his ears. And he could feel the abrupt turns. The pilot was military, so he was using the rudder. Civilian pilots avoid using the rudder. Using the rudder makes the plane slew, like a car skids. Passengers don't like the feeling. So civilian pilots turn by juicing the engines on one side and backing off on the others. Then the plane comes around more smoothly. But the military pilots don't care about their passengers' comfort. It's not like they've bought tickets."

 

Now, my understanding, mainly from FSX lessons though I'm sure DCS has covered it too, is that the plane slips UNLESS you use rudder. Coordinated turns with stick and rudder for smooth flight. Broadly the opposite of the book.

 

Additionally, no talk of bank. Are they turning the plane purely on rudder? Could you even do that? I would use a bit of rudder to counter a crosswind but not to actually turn the plane.

 

So can somebody with more practical knowledge clarify or confirm if the book is simply talking nonsense?

[Chris1012]

Aircraft will always want to point into wind, you have to keep the aircraft in balance using all the tools available, including the rudder. if you want to turn, you wouldn't use only the rudder.

How does a rudder work? introducing drag on one side of the aircraft inefficient by nature. How would you actually do it?

As you say, coordinated turns with stick and rudder.

You would do a stall turn just on the rudder, if you wanted your passengers to vomit...

 

Messing with throttle, especially on jet engines rather than using a bit of rudder sounds like a particularly silly thing to do - asymmetric thrust kills people.

[Backy 51]

Perhaps read the first few chapters of this ... should answer your question and hopefully generate new ones. :)

 

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/pilot_handbook/

[SlipBall]

I've just finished reading Lee Child - Running Blind and there was a paragraph that bothered me;

 

"The plane was on descent. Reacher could feel it in his ears. And he could feel the abrupt turns. The pilot was military, so he was using the rudder. Civilian pilots avoid using the rudder. Using the rudder makes the plane slew, like a car skids. Passengers don't like the feeling. So civilian pilots turn by juicing the engines on one side and backing off on the others. Then the plane comes around more smoothly. But the military pilots don't care about their passengers' comfort. It's not like they've bought tickets."

 

Now, my understanding, mainly from FSX lessons though I'm sure DCS has covered it too, is that the plane slips UNLESS you use rudder. Coordinated turns with stick and rudder for smooth flight. Broadly the opposite of the book.

 

Additionally, no talk of bank. Are they turning the plane purely on rudder? Could you even do that? I would use a bit of rudder to counter a crosswind but not to actually turn the plane.

 

So can somebody with more practical knowledge clarify or confirm if the book is simply talking nonsense?

 

Yes it is doable rudder alone, and doable by something as simple as a trim tab used alone to make a turn over many air miles to complete that turn...as witnessed by damaged aircraft accounts on bringing those aircraft home.

[John C Flett]

Yes it is doable rudder alone, and doable by something as simple as a trim tab used alone to make a turn over many air miles to complete that turn...as witnessed by damaged aircraft accounts on bringing those aircraft home.

 

Doable then. But not normal practice, civilian or military?

 

Specifically, going back to the quote, a normal turn would still be coordinated rudder and stick, not this avoidance of rudder that Child describes.

[SlipBall]

Doable then. But not normal practice, civilian or military?

 

Specifically, going back to the quote, a normal turn would still be coordinated rudder and stick, not this avoidance of rudder that Child describes.

 

 

that goes without saying

[Weta43]

Maybe all he meant was that civilian airliners generally avoid having so much bank during a turn that if you spill your drink it lands in your neighbours lap not yours..

Edited July 23, 2015 by Weta43

[John C Flett]

I'm thinking he didn't really know what he means. I've read a few of his books and enjoy them well enough but it's not the first time I've thought he's described something which he didn't really understand.