Spoiler (aeronautics)

Last updated
A close look at the inner workings of spoilers in lift dump deployment during the landing of an Airbus A320. Lift dumperinnerworkingsa320.jpg
A close look at the inner workings of spoilers in lift dump deployment during the landing of an Airbus A320.
A close look at the spoiler (the parts of the wing that are raised up) during the landing of an Airbus A321. Air Jamaica A321 landing spoilers opened.jpg
A close look at the spoiler (the parts of the wing that are raised up) during the landing of an Airbus A321.
A view of the right wing of a Boeing 767-300ER during descent with spoilers partially deployed. Boeing 767-323ER spoilers on descent to POS, AAL 1167, 11-29-12.jpg
A view of the right wing of a Boeing 767-300ER during descent with spoilers partially deployed.
Spoilers deployed to slow down for descent on a Qantas Boeing 737-800. Qantas Boeing 737-800 spoiler deployed for descent.jpg
Spoilers deployed to slow down for descent on a Qantas Boeing 737-800.
Extended spoilers are intended to increase the lift-induced drag by spoiling the spanwise lift distribution across the wing. The glider shown is a Slingsby Capstan. Airbrakes on Capstan.jpg
Extended spoilers are intended to increase the lift-induced drag by spoiling the spanwise lift distribution across the wing. The glider shown is a Slingsby Capstan.

In aeronautics, a spoiler (sometimes called a lift spoiler or lift dumper) is a device which intentionally reduces the lift component of an airfoil in a controlled way. Most often, spoilers are plates on the top surface of a wing that can be extended upward into the airflow to spoil the streamline flow. By so doing, the spoiler creates a controlled stall over the portion of the wing behind it, greatly reducing the lift of that wing section. Spoilers differ from airbrakes in that airbrakes are designed to increase drag without disrupting the lift distribution across the wing span, while spoilers disrupt the lift distribution as well as increasing drag.

Contents

Spoilers fall into two categories: those that are deployed at controlled angles during flight to increase descent rate or control roll, and those that are fully deployed immediately on landing to greatly reduce lift ("lift dumpers") and increase drag. In modern fly-by-wire aircraft, the same set of control surfaces serve both functions.

Spoilers were used by most gliders (sailplanes) until the 1960s to control their rate of descent and thus achieve a controlled landing. Since then, spoilers on gliders have almost entirely been replaced by airbrakes, usually of the Schempp-Hirth type. Spoilers and airbrakes enable the glide angle to be altered during the approach while leaving the speed unchanged.

Airliners are almost always fitted with spoilers. Spoilers are used to increase descent rate without increasing speed. Their use is often limited, however, as the turbulent airflow that develops behind them causes noise and vibration, which may cause discomfort to passengers. Spoilers may also be differentially operated for roll control instead of ailerons; Martin Aircraft was the first company to develop such spoilers in 1948. [1] On landing, however, the spoilers are nearly always fully deployed to help slow the aircraft. The increase in form drag created by the spoilers directly assists the braking effect. However, the most gain comes as the spoilers cause a dramatic loss of lift and hence the weight of the aircraft is transferred from the wings to the undercarriage, allowing the wheels to be mechanically braked with less tendency to skid.

In air-cooled piston engine aircraft, spoilers may be needed to avoid shock cooling the engines. In a descent without spoilers, air speed is increased and the engine will be at low power, producing less heat than normal. The engine may cool too rapidly, resulting in stuck valves, cracked cylinders or other problems. Spoilers alleviate the situation by allowing the aircraft to descend at a desired rate while letting the engine run at a power setting that keeps it from cooling too quickly (especially true for turbocharged piston engines, which generate higher temperatures than normally aspirated engines).

Spoiler controls

Spoiler controls can be used for roll control (outboard or mid-span spoilers) or descent control (inboard spoilers).

Some aircraft use spoilers in combination with or in lieu of ailerons for roll control, primarily to reduce adverse yaw when rudder input is limited by higher speeds. For such spoilers the term spoileron has been coined. In the case of a spoileron, in order for it to be used as a control surface, it is raised on one wing only, thus decreasing lift and increasing drag, causing roll and yaw. Eliminating dedicated ailerons also avoids the problem of control reversal and allows flaps to occupy a greater portion of the wing trailing edge.

Almost all modern jet airliners are fitted with inboard lift spoilers which are used together during descent to increase the rate of descent and control speed. Some aircraft use lift spoilers on landing approach to control descent without changing the aircraft's attitude.

One jet airliner not fitted with lift spoilers was the Douglas DC-8 which used reverse thrust in flight on the two inboard engines to control descent speed (however the aircraft was fitted with lift dumpers). The Lockheed Tristar was fitted with a system called Direct Lift Control that used the spoilers on landing approach to control descent.

Airbus aircraft with fly-by-wire control utilise wide-span spoilers for descent control, spoilerons, gust alleviation, and lift dumpers. Especially on landing approach, the full width of spoilers can be seen controlling the aircraft's descent rate and bank.

Lift dumpers

Lift dumpers are a special type of spoiler extending along much of the wing's length and designed to dump as much lift as possible on landing. Lift dumpers have only two positions, deployed and retracted. Lift dumpers have three main functions: putting most of the weight of the aircraft on the wheels for maximum braking effect, increasing form drag, and preventing aircraft "bounce" on landing.

Lift dumpers are almost always deployed automatically on touch down. The flight deck control has three positions: off, automatic ("armed"), and manual (rarely used). On landing approach "automatic" is selected and, on touchdown, a sensor called a weight-on-wheels switch signals the lift dumpers to be raised. The flight control spoilers are also raised as additional lift dumpers.

Virtually all modern jet aircraft are fitted with lift dumpers. The British Aerospace 146 is fitted with particularly wide-span spoilers to generate additional drag and make reverse thrust unnecessary.

A number of accidents have been caused either by inadvertently deploying lift dumpers on landing approach, or forgetting to set them to "automatic".

Incidents and accidents

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stall (fluid dynamics)</span> Abrupt reduction in lift due to flow separation

In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases. This occurs when the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded. The critical angle of attack is typically about 15°, but it may vary significantly depending on the fluid, foil, and Reynolds number.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landing</span> Transition from being in flight to being on a surface

Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown"a or "splashdown" as well. A normal aircraft flight would include several parts of flight including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent and landing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight control surfaces</span> Surface that allows a pilot to adjust and control an aircrafts flight attitude

Aircraft flight control surfaces are aerodynamic devices allowing a pilot to adjust and control the aircraft's flight attitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elevon</span> Aircraft control surface used to control pitch and roll

Elevons or tailerons are aircraft control surfaces that combine the functions of the elevator and the aileron, hence the name. They are frequently used on tailless aircraft such as flying wings. An elevon that is not part of the main wing, but instead is a separate tail surface, is a stabilator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thrust reversal</span> Temporary diversion of an aircraft engines thrust

Thrust reversal, also called reverse thrust, is the temporary diversion of an aircraft engine's thrust for it to act against the forward travel of the aircraft, providing deceleration. Thrust reverser systems are featured on many jet aircraft to help slow down just after touch-down, reducing wear on the brakes and enabling shorter landing distances. Such devices affect the aircraft significantly and are considered important for safe operations by airlines. There have been accidents involving thrust reversal systems, including fatal ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flap (aeronautics)</span> Anti-stalling high-lift device on aircraft

A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing distance. Flaps also cause an increase in drag so they are retracted when not needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air brake (aeronautics)</span> Flight control surface meant to increase drag

In aeronautics, air brakes or speed brakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase the drag on the aircraft. When extended into the airstream, air brakes cause an increase in the drag on the aircraft. When not in use, they conform to the local streamlined profile of the aircraft in order to help minimize drag.

de Havilland Canada Dash 7 1975 airliner family by de Havilland Canada

The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. Variants were built with 50–54 seats. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing in 1986 and later sold to Bombardier. In 2006 Bombardier sold the type certificate for the aircraft design to Victoria-based manufacturer Viking Air.

Aircraft flight mechanics are relevant to fixed wing and rotary wing (helicopters) aircraft. An aeroplane, is defined in ICAO Document 9110 as, "a power-driven heavier than air aircraft, deriving its lift chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surface which remain fixed under given conditions of flight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learjet 25</span> Type of aircraft

The Learjet 25 is an American ten-seat, twin-engine, high-speed business jet aircraft manufactured by Learjet. It is a stretched version of the Learjet 24.

In aeronautics, spoilerons are spoilers that can be used asymmetrically as flight control surfaces to provide roll control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Airways Flight 670</span> 2006 aviation accident

Atlantic Airways Flight 670 was a crash following a runway overrun of a British Aerospace 146-200A at 07:32 on 10 October 2006 at Stord Airport, Sørstokken, Norway. The aircraft's spoilers failed to deploy, causing inefficient braking. The Atlantic Airways aircraft fell down the steep cliff at the end of the runway at slow speed and burst into flames, killing four of sixteen people on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lufthansa Flight 2904</span> 1993 passenger plane crash in Warsaw, Poland

Lufthansa Flight 2904 was an Airbus A320-200 flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Warsaw, Poland that overran the runway at Okęcie International Airport on 14 September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ČSA Flight 001</span> 1976 crash in Czechoslovakia killing 73

Czechoslovak Airlines Flight 001 was an Ilyushin Il-18B four engine turboprop airliner, registered OK-NAB, which was operating as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Prague's Ruzyně airport to Bratislava-Ivanka Airport, both in Czechoslovakia, which crashed into the Zlaté Piesky Lake while attempting to land in Bratislava on July 28, 1976. All 6 crew members and 70 out of 73 passengers died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan Air Lines Flight 446</span> 1972 aviation accident

Japan Air Lines Flight 446 was a Japan Air Lines flight from Sheremetyevo International Airport of Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union to Tokyo International Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glider (sailplane)</span> Type of aircraft used in the sport of gliding

A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding. This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailplanes are aerodynamically streamlined and so can fly a significant distance forward for a small decrease in altitude.

Several aviation incidents and accidents have occurred in which the control surfaces of an aircraft became disabled, often due to failure of hydraulic systems or the flight control system. Other incidents have occurred where controls were not functioning correctly prior to take-off, either due to maintenance or pilot error, and controls can become inoperative from extreme weather conditions. Aircraft are not designed to be flown in such circumstances; however, a small number of pilots have had some success in flying and landing aircraft with disabled controls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 MacArthur Airport United Air Lines crash</span> Airplane crash in New York

On April 4, 1955, a United Airlines Douglas DC-6 named Mainliner Idaho crashed shortly after taking off from Long Island MacArthur Airport, in Ronkonkoma, Islip, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Wings Airlines Flight 9268</span> 2012 aviation accident

Red Wings Airlines Flight 9268 was a Tupolev Tu-204-100 passenger jet that on 29 December 2012 crashed on landing at Moscow Vnukovo Airport, Russia, following a repositioning flight from Pardubice Airport, Czech Republic. There were no passengers on board, but 5 of the 8 crew members were killed when the aircraft hit a ditch and highway structures after overrunning the runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propair Flight 420</span> 1998 aviation accident

Propair Flight 420 (PRO420) was a domestic charter flight from Montreal, Quebec to Peterborough, Ontario. The flight was carried out by Propair, a charter airline based in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, using a Fairchild Metroliner SA226. On 18 June 1998, the aircraft suffered an in-flight fire shortly after take-off from Dorval and the crew elected to conduct an emergency landing at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport. The intense heat of the fire caused a structural failure in the left wing during the landing and the aircraft crashed, resulting in the deaths of all 11 passengers and crew on board.

References

  1. "Spoilers Aid Aileron Control." Popular Science, August 1948, p. 91.
  2. "Accident report AAR-73-20" (PDF). NTSB. 5 December 1973. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. "Full cockpit-voice transcript of TAM A320 reveals clues to crash". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  4. Final Report (PDF), Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center, October 27, 2009.
  5. "Brazil pilots' last words aired". BBC. 1 August 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-19.