What do Bigger Ailerons and Rudder do?

[Tilt]

Originally posted by Karnak
Off hand I'd guess better low speed control at the sacrifice of high speed control.  Fly the A6M5b in AH for a prime example of an aircraft that has overly larger ailerons.

and a Lavochkin  to experience some thing with a big rudder (and elevators) on a relatively short fuselage.

[mars01]

All good stuff Mako,


So are you saying that larger Ailerons will increase roll rate up to a point?

[Simaril]

Is it size only, or aileron balance? The Fw190s ahve great roll rates, but their ailerons are average in appearance......

[Hyrax81st]

Originally posted by Simaril
Is it size only, or aileron balance? The Fw190s ahve great roll rates, but their ailerons are average in appearance......

They have great roll rate at a certain minimum speed/max wing loading. All other things being equal, maybe their ailerons react more quickly to small stick movement.

[Blue Mako]

Originally posted by mars01
All good stuff Mako,


So are you saying that larger Ailerons will increase roll rate up to a point?

Yup, and what that point is depends on many factors.

[Blue Mako]

Originally posted by Simaril
Is it size only, or aileron balance? The Fw190s ahve great roll rates, but their ailerons are average in appearance......

Roll rate is determined by (to name but a few) a combination of aileron size, wing profile and size, aircraft speed, aileron deflection angle, aircraft inertia (in roll) and how far from the centreline the controls are placed.  It's hard to say without hard data (or comparing to another aircraft) which of these the 190 has optimised.

Aileron balance affects control forces that the pilot sees (and flutter properties ) and thus it only indirectly affects roll rate...