The elevator's function in fixed-wing aircraft is to.

The elevator's function in fixed-wing aircraft is to.

• A. Control yaw
• B. Control roll
• C. Induce a moment around the lateral axis
• D. Increase lift

Answer: (C)

The elevator’s job is to control pitch. Moving the elevator on the horizontal stabilizer creates a force that produces a pitching moment around the lateral axis (an imaginary line from wingtip to wingtip). That moment raises or lowers the nose, changing the aircraft’s attitude to climb or descend. The rudder handles yaw, the ailerons handle roll, and while changing pitch can affect lift indirectly, increasing lift is not the elevator’s primary function.

The elevator’s job is to control pitch. Moving the elevator on the horizontal stabilizer creates a force that produces a pitching moment around the lateral axis (an imaginary line from wingtip to wingtip). That moment raises or lowers the nose, changing the aircraft’s attitude to climb or descend. The rudder handles yaw, the ailerons handle roll, and while changing pitch can affect lift indirectly, increasing lift is not the elevator’s primary function.