Any hinged or movable section of an aircraft airframe designed to alter airflow and change the attitude of the vehicle. These include ailerons for roll, elevators for pitch, and rudders for yaw. By deflecting these panels into the slipstream, pilots generate aerodynamic forces that rotate the aircraft around its three axes.
We need to rig the flight cables and verify full travel on every control surface before the test flight.
A pre-flight walkaround always includes physically checking hinges and linkages on every control surface for free movement and security.
Related terms
Elevator
An elevator is a hinged control surface on the tail of an aircraft that controls pitch.
Elevon
An elevon is a combined control surface that handles both pitch and roll on tailless aircraft.
Flap
A hinged surface on the trailing edge of an aircraft wing used to increase lift and drag.
Slat
An aerodynamic surface on the leading edge of a wing that extends to increase lift at low speeds.
Leading edge
The forward-facing contour of an airfoil that first meets the oncoming air.