Flight Controls and Stability

The Three Axes of Movement

A gyroplane can rotate around three imaginary axes that pass through its centre of gravity.

These are the lateral, longitudinal and normal axes.

• Lateral Axis (Pitch) – Runs from wingtip to wingtip, or side to side across the gyroplane. Movement around this axis causes the nose to rise or fall. Pitch is controlled by moving the control stick forwards or backwards, tilting the rotor disk.

• Longitudinal Axis (Roll) – Runs from the nose to the tail. Movement around this axis causes the gyroplane to roll left or right. Roll is controlled by moving the control stick sideways, tilting the rotor disk.

• Normal Axis (Yaw) – Runs vertically through the gyroplane. Movement around this axis causes the nose to turn left or right. Yaw is controlled by the rudder pedals.

Stability About the Axes

The gyroplane's tail helps provide stability about two of these axes:

• Horizontal Stabiliser – Provides stability about the lateral axis (pitch), helping resist unwanted nose-up and nose-down movements.