A question of Trim?

[Spherical]

1. Trim is applied to keep an aircraft flying relatively staright, right?



and 2. For rudder, aileron, and elveator trim are there multiple settings, say light left rudder and heavy left rudder by pushing the left rudder trim a certain amount of times or is it just a single trim setting?

[stona]

1 Yes. In different conditions and aircraft will need trimming. In a dive for example it may become nose heavy and this would be corrected by trimming the tailplane/elevators to compensate. Deploying flaps or undercarriage almost invariably causes changes which would be compensated for by the appropriate adjustment in trim.

2 Not all aircraft have the capability of trimming all those surfaces. The early Bf109s had no rudder trim (apart from a preset tab which could not be altered from the cockpit and when flown fast needed a constant rudder input,very tiring for the pilot's left leg. The ailerons were trimmed on a Spitfire,which had no trim tabs,not even the bendable metal tab favoured by the Germans,whilst on the ground,by hammering the trailing edge with a mallet!
Where trim tabs are present they would be variably controlled,often by rotating a wheel,thus giving fine control and infinite settings within their range. There are many different types,some simply worked by a mechanical linkage some are powered.

Cheers
Steve

[Spherical]

Thanks, very helpful! Now I just need to remember to keep setting the trim, haha.

[eddie_brunette]

if you lucky enough to have a sim racing wheel, then connect it with your joystick and use it for elevator trim.....it works a charm

edd

[Spherical]

Unfortunatly I don't have one, but i'd never have thought that you could have.