
Weight-shift control as a means of
aircraft flight control is widely used in
hang gliders
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
,
powered hang glider
A foot-launched powered hang glider (FLPHG), also called powered harness, nanolight, or hangmotor, is a powered hang glider harness with a motor and propeller often in pusher configuration, although some can be found in tractor configuration. ...
s, and
ultralight trike
An ultralight trike or paratrike is a type of powered hang glider where flight control is by weight-shift control, weight-shift. These light-sport aircraft, aircraft have a fabric Rogallo wing, flex-wing from which is suspended a tricycle fusel ...
s. Control is usually by the pilot using their weight against a triangular control bar that is rigidly attached to the wing structure. The wing is mounted on a pivot above the trike carriage or hang glider harness allowing the weight-shift forces to produce changes in pitch and bank.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(2008)
Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook (PDF)
retrieved 18 August 2015
References
{{Reflist
See also
*
Ultralight aircraft
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and Aircraft flight control system, conventional three-a ...
Aircraft controls
Applications of control engineering
Aircraft categories