How do the "Stabilizers" work?

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Have you ever wondered what the "Back wings" on the Boeing 737 actually does or how the Pilots control it?
In this episode I will give you an insight into the Vertical and Horizontal Stabiliser.
I will be discussing how the different parts work, what their purpose is and what could happen if the pilots are not using them correctly.
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A special THANK YOU to todays featured channels! To see the full videos, use the links below! 👇🏻
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[@heronimousbrapson863]

As a non-pilot, but occasional passenger, it helps with peace of mind while flying to have a basic understanding of the dynamics of flight as provided by these videos. Thanks for these!

[@MentourPilot]

Excellent! That’s what I was hoping for!

[@kefkaZZZ]

9:17 imitating the plane as it moves, favorite part! :)

[@CESARCASTROJarochelo]

kefkaZZZ super helpful for visual learners, capi!

[@wkdravenna]

It is very good of him to teach that way.

[@jessijacobs8]

He's actually so good with his demonstrations. Makes it all so visually easy to comprehend 😁

[@ciaranshaman]

Finally. Now I know why when I used to throw paper planes too fast they would always immediately nosedive into the floor. Great videos/info Mentour, excellent stuff indeed.

[@SimonSNB]

This video was... *ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC*

[@deadfreightwest5956]

Mentour Pilot gives us absolutely fantastic lift!

[@cupofjoen]

3 years later I'm still amazed by his ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC professionalism

[@paulgracey4697]

You answered a question I had had for some time now. The 737 is perhaps one of the last large commercial aircraft to have mechanical linkages as backup to the servo-controlled hydraulics. Airbus uses fly-by-wire computers with massive redundancy if I am correct. So that begs the question of how the much much larger Zeppelins moved their even more massive control surfaces in the days before hydraulic servos even existed. I do know the answer, which is that they had smaller winglike surfaces both above and below the elevators for instance, that worked like the tail surfaces of a small airplane and essentially flew those huge balanced airfoils into the positions needed to change the direction of the entire airship. The rudders (top and bottom) worked the same way. While that method worked within the speed regime of those vehicles it was slow to act. Not a big problem when lift was accomplished mostly with buoyancy but for large heavier-than-air craft, it could not be used much.

[@MentourPilot]

Absolutely correct my friend! Thank you for the interesting input!

[@johnrogan9420]

Zeppelins.. Come on man...it's 2019!

[@claudiazambrano5689]

@@johnrogan9420 aeronautic physics still the same, so still worth knowing

[@redjr16]

Love your channel and videos. How you explain things is very refreshing and audio quality is spot on. A small model airplane would be a perfect prop in explaining the control surfaces and their affect on the airplane. Don't get me wrong, your arm works well too! I'm only a simmer, but have learned so much from your videos. This Wednesday I'll get the chance to go up in a small GA airplane for a 'Discovery Flight'. My wife gave it to me for my birthday. I'm 70. Not exactly sure what the flight will entail, but I hope the pilot will let me do a little maneuvering of the plane, in flight so I can put some of what I've learned in the simulator to a real world encounter. Not sure what plane it will be, but I'm assuming it will be either a 152, or 172. I live 2 miles from a small GA airport, and on the weekends there's lots of activity as I can hear and see the little Cessnas flying around. The downwind leg is right over my house as they approach base. In the summer I can sit on my deck and watch the pattern and turns being made. I think a lot of touch-n-gos are being practiced. I've got almost 400 hours using my sim (MSFS), and feel pretty confident on how to operate a small plane. It should be a lot of fun. Thanks again for such an informative channel and also for the quality you put into making them very enjoyable. Happy flying. :)

[@EveryTipeOfVideo]

Awesome Video!! I learned soo much from this!

[@MentourPilot]

Excellent! I am so happy to hear that!

[@briancox2721]

Good video, but when you say "momentum," you should be saying "moment." The first is a conserved physical vector quantity equal to the body's mass times it velocity. Forces acting on a body change its momentum. Moment, also known as torque, is a force applied offset from the center of a mass of a body which causes rotation. "Moment" is used primarily when talking about structures or other objects which are not intended to continuously rotate. "Torque" is used in rotating systems, such as an engine, to describe the twisting effort on a shaft or similar object. So, in a turbofan aircraft such as a B737 on takeoff, you would have torque from the engine core causing the fan to rotate, providing a thrust force on the structure of the aircraft, which causes both a pitching moment about the aircraft center of gravity and increasing the aircraft's momentum, causing it to accelerate down the runway.

[@garrettmineo]

True, but we knew what he meant. I love these lessons, thanks.

[@gyes99]

I noticed also that the term "momentum" was used incorrectly. Momentum also refers to a rotational moment of inertia, the ability to resist against applied torques (or moments?). The english language is not very unambiguous or precise with those terms.

[@gyes99]

@James Smith I hope, aircraft designers and engineers know better, and do not respond like: "We all know it would fly."

[@ddegn]

@James Smith "We all knew what he meant.........." That's some amazing psychic power you have there. What number am I thinking of?

[@jacquesblaque7728]

Rubbish- "we all knew". Were that so, why would you pass by here? Facts still matter. Some confusion also with pressure and force- quite different critters, not hard at all to get straight.

[@Quasihamster]

Another one of these videos where I thought, "Well anybody who knows a bit about airplanes knows what that is for. They are [insert airplane part], duh!" I'm used to learning from Petter that is more to it than you see at first glance... but just HOW MUCH more blows me again and again. And I'm into airplanes for some 20 years now.

[@seymoresaymore]

Wow, answering questions I never knew I wanted to ask. :)

[@MentourPilot]

Exactly!! That’s what I do! 😊

[@seymoresaymore]

Haha. Great presentation and info as usual, it's much appreciated!

[@stenic2]

your axis explanation with your arms spread is funny

[@buddyclem7328]

Like a true aviation enthusiast, except without the sound effects!

[@jeroenjansen2709]

But very clear

[@garryau9890]

Your presentations are superb. Thanks for posting.

[@fergusonhr]

I have watched all of your videos and I have to say that you are the best person out there for the info you give

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you! That’s really nice to hear!

[@AV4Life]

Anytime there’s something in flight school you don’t feel proficient enough in, Mentour Pilot will always have a to-the-point and factually correct video about it!!

[@artmyb]

little correction: I think you mean "moment" not "momentum". Keep it up, love your work!

[@erindekock6915]

I think he's saying "moment arm"

[@martinnordbo]

I have follow the Chanel since 2016, this is defently one of the best video ever made. Great work petter.

[@DavidHerrera-gw5iv]

Amazing explanations as always!!! Love your Chanel!

[@JuanDiaz-ej7zz]

@Mentour Pilot Thank you so much for answering the question! Nailed it! Another one perhaps talking about SAS, CAS and autopilot and how is it related to fly by wire technology? Could connect it at the end with the 737 max MCAS video. (Could not ask this one by the app because of phone problems) Brilliant app btw!

[@deandanielson8074]

Very educational and you do such a nice job of presenting flight materials. Bravo!!

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you Dean! I’m happy you liked it!

[@baerlauchstal]

Lovely stuff! ("Moment", rather than "momentum", though.)

[@garrettmineo]

Thanks. I am so happy that the turns are so coordinated that my scotch doesn’t spill. As I am heading across the Atlantic I am thinking about my presentation for tomorrow and give little thought to what you are doing to keep us safe and comfortable. I appreciate even more when a pilot crashes “sleeps” next to me in business class during this long boring (hopefully) flight.

[@sharoncassell9358]

I'm happy too when a pilot is near by in case of danger. My sis an I were waiting for taxiing and I mentioned the APU was on to keep aitconftionimg running . A person Next to her heard me and commented it was the auxiliary power unit and we realized he was a pilot studying his business sheets. I felt like bugging him with some questions but knew he was deadheading in civies and needed rest & to study his sheets to prepare for his next flight. So we left him alone. But nice to know he was there. We were on a airbus 320 .

[@DENZ317]

Brian ... You hit the nail on the Head !!! 🙏 Glad you got him back soon , wish you would do an 8 part series with the one's ... you know who they are ! 👊 😎 👊 🙏

[@mrpineapplejr1040]

I was wondering what they where used for. Thanks for the information

[@Voyager.2]

There were several incidents with the 737 rudder caused by uncommanded deflections which led to at least 2 fatal crashes, United Airlines Flight 585 and USAir Flight 427.

[@WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs]

This was partially caused by Boeing saving money on the 737 design by not installing a split rudder in the same manner as the 727 or 707. The 737 has always compromised redundancy and therefore safety in the interest of cost.

[@123norway]

Very good and informative video. Keep on posting! :) One topic that would be very interesting to learn more about is how the radio communication works between the tower, pilots, ATC, between planes in uncontrolled zones etc. What sort of radio equipment do you have available if something fails? Is satcom used if all else fails?

[@venus0031]

always love the videos, very informative!

[@stracepipe]

I always thought that banking the aircraft resulted in some of the vertical lift component now applying a centripetal force to the aircraft resulting in the turn (when used in conjunction with the rudder input). That reduction in vertical lift also results in a loss of altitude during the turn. On a separate note, momentum is mass X velocity (kg.m/s), where as moment is force X distance (Nm), which is I think what you are referring to? It's difficult when English isn't your first language, you do a first rate job.

[@raymondkoonce5827]

As always, an excellent presentation!!!

[@mpix19135]

Your English as as good as that of native speakers. I spoke to my parents only in German, but I dream in English.

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you!

[@buddyclem7328]

Serous question: Do you have an accent in your dreams when you're speaking English? When I speak a foreign language in my dreams, I am far more proficient than in real life.

[@RockBand2Freak78]

They say you've mastered your second language when you dream in it.

[@prathikshshetty9458]

Thanks for spreading the knowledge Great video😊

[@MentourPilot]

I am so happy you liked it! Keep sharing it with your friends!

[@BossRoss045]

You have a good way of explaining the complex forces of flight. Thanks.

[@vaqarkhan8306]

Wonderful video! Extremely well explained the function of the vertical and horizontal stabiliser. Thanks.

[@MentourPilot]

Great! I’m happy you liked it!

[@tyler-zw7yh]

I knew there would be some good information despite the question being very simple. Not disappointed at all keep it up! Also I really appreciate all the comments you answer!

[@ryanm1276]

Excellent video as always, very informative!

[@rwnordmark]

Great video Swayne. I enjoy watching you throughout your career.

[@Alessandro7432]

Another great video Captain! I discovered you only 5 days ago, and this channel became my favourite. I have a suggestion for you for a possible future video that will also fill up my curiosity: What are the advantages and disadvantages between a 2 engine and a 4 engine aircraft? Keep up the great work Captain and cheers from Italy :)

[@spiros7376]

Great video Cpt again. Your video is moving to higher professional level.

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you! I do what I can!

[@fredrikkilander4044]

Very nice explanations! Would it be possible to talk of the role of the rudder in high AOA situations?

[@kanthikiiran]

Wonderful episode, Mr. Mentour.

[@MentourPilot]

I’m happy you liked it!!

[@kanthikiiran]

@@MentourPilot I always look forward to your interesting and entertaining videos.

[@emaildenis]

Great video as always Captain!

[@MentourPilot]

Great! I’m happy you liked it my friend!

[@ravensrulzaviation]

Great video as always. I learn so much from you and your wonderful teaching skills. I wanted to be a pilot all my life from childhood, but I failed physical to get into the Air National Guard here in the states, I had an ASfVAB number that qualified me to be a fighter pilot. But my foot got in the way of things, of course that was back in 1985..

[@MentourPilot]

I’m sorry to hear that but I’m happy you like my channel! See you in the app?

[@RahmanSajid]

Very informative Petter! Keep it coming mate :)

[@ShamirMuhammad]

great video. explains a lot to anyone interested in flight. I will bookmark this to show my kids.

[@MentourPilot]

Great! I hope they will like it!

[@kevalshah8867]

Great video thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@JanButterfeld]

Great Info on this Channel, also for Aviatic laymen :-) What stuns me, the Fin (vertical stabilizer) can be ripped off of a plane by airstream alone (as shown at 15:10). But then, about Wings it is known they are designed to never brake. Now I'm wondering if bad wheather or turbulence conditions can make Fins breaking away, accidentally. As I learn, bad maneuvering conditions (which could occur in severe turbulences?) would easily rip them off. In other words, why are Wings built so strong (to never brake), while vital Fins aren't that strong, so they can brake eventually.

[@cliffjones8809]

Great video, you explain stuff very well here. So here's a question on this subject of horizontal stabilizer and elevator.. Why does the MCAS system manipulate the WHOLE stabilizer, instead of just the elevator?

[@christophermercado5466]

Thank you for sharing this!! I love your channel.

[@sharoncassell9358]

If you have difficulty with Math concepts do the figures in terms of money and it will go smoother. I tudor kids and that helps. Brilliant will help of course.

[@lifeintaiwan]

so interesting about the banked turns..... had no idea! Great channel!

[@cristianojax4995]

you all probably dont give a shit but does someone know of a trick to log back into an instagram account? I somehow lost the password. I appreciate any tricks you can give me

[@patrickluka8513]

@Cristiano Jax Instablaster ;)

[@cristianojax4995]

@Patrick Luka Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm in the hacking process atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@cristianojax4995]

@Patrick Luka It did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much you saved my account !

[@patrickluka8513]

@Cristiano Jax glad I could help xD

[@CristianKlein]

Could you make a video about the yaw damper? What exactly is it? What does it do? How does it work? What does it NOT do (i.e. when do we need manual rudder input)? When should a pilot switch it off? What happens if it malfunctions? Have there been incidents or accidents related to the yaw damper?

[@joseortiz6255]

Sir... You are an amazing teacher... I really love your videos... Greetings from Puerto Rico...

[@adibmouhanna6823]

Many love and respect from Syria!! Happy black friday!!!

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you! You to! Make sure you get yourself a collection in the app!

[@mattthompson4908]

Really interesting one of your best videos!!

[@girishkv1785]

The way you explained is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC captain !!!!!!!😊... You have explained about the trim and control in detail... Just one thing could have been added when u discussed about horizontal and vertical stabilizers.. These surfaces are providing the stabilizing force and moment for stabilizing the aircraft and coming back to its original position when the aircraft disturbed from its intented path due to air turbulence, to a great extent without pilot or computers intervention to correct the flight path. Its an inherent quality of an stable aircraft !!!!

[@sharoncassell9358]

You make a good human airplane with your arms for wings head for pitch... I laughed a little. Keep up challenging subjects.

[@19carrot84]

Excellent video Mentour.

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you!

[@sankimalu]

Excellent video. I also wondered why planes bank so much when they turn. Thanks for the explanation. Cheers...

[@Graciegroo3]

This was a great explanation thank you!

[@raphaeljulo3826]

A gifted talented and eloquent pilot

[@jessijacobs8]

Incredible video!! You explained all these concepts so perfectly 🙏✈️ Also your App is amazing. Thank you so much for making this 👏👏

[@robertbarlow6359]

When mentioning balancing the turn with the rudder, I've wondered if there's much adverse yaw (secondary sideslip type yaw) from the down going aileron of the uplifting side wing? That is, if the automatic or manual rudder inputs weren't implied? With gliders/sailplanes for example, the aircraft would sort of side slip out of the banked turn, without plenty of rudder.

[@JuergenNoll]

If anyone would like to make a compilation video of everytime Mentour says „I hope You’re doing absolutely fantastic“ - I’d watch it, over and over and over.

[@yoyoututububee]

Great explanation of the center of lift vs the center of gravity. I finally understand why center of lift is BEHIND center of gravity. Thank you!

[@thecrabpulsar]

Love your detailed insights and technical knowledge Mentour pilot! Wonder if you are on Quora btw?

[@sachin.k.gganesh3285]

Very detailed explanation..Thanks captain.

[@traceyturner9428]

Awesome video once again. Learned something new. 😊

[@Valentin_MeL]

Very nice explanation. You are truly good at this.

[@mb-ql1gb]

I can only confirm whats said before. You can explain that stuff wonderful, easy to follow, even if not in motherlanguage. You are an absolut fantatic explainer! Shame there are not more 3D animations possible to explain it with more detail, your channel would deserve it. Nice pig by the way :-)

[@danielsunday2958]

Great video Bro. Very informative. I noticed the "AGGRESIVE" horizontal take you showed a couple of times in this video. Can you please dp a video on such take off? Thanks in advance.

[@villejuntunen5851]

So much fun to learn. Good lesson, nice to be smarter every day.

[@nickstmpl]

I really like how he do the yaw access in 9:17 and the best is in the pitch up part

[@IntellectualHazard]

Though I already know it ( self learned) this is some really great info for curious people who are really new to aviation...like one of my friends! I could use your explanation!

[@MentourPilot]

Excellent! Feel free to share it with your friends!

[@robwinter4173]

I learnt a lot,thanks,Rob.

[@deltabeta5527]

He replaced the dog with piglet!!

[@MentourPilot]

It’s the dogs piglet :)

[@EleanorPeterson]

@@MentourPilot - Hey, it's not Piglet - it's Winglet! :-)

[@neilgibbons2532]

Do you know how much it cost to employ that dog every week 😁🤣🙃🤣

[@ortizef]

As always, what an excellent video!!!!!!!!

[@i1cool]

Very good video! I think when you were saying "momentum" you actually were trying to say "moment". Momentum involves velocities and mass but a moment is the torque force produce from a non axial load.

[@josephiousbrosif]

Hey Mentour could you make a video of the possible health risks of being an airline pilot? Love your videos!

[@jiloanania6925]

The American Airlines flight 587 crash was on 12 November 2001, Great video Petter 👍👍

[@MentourPilot]

Thank you! So I was quite close. 😊

[@jiloanania6925]

@@MentourPilot Hahaha yes you were

[@CarlVandenberg]

@@MentourPilot Yes I remember it well because everyone thought that it might have been another terrorist attack since it happened so close to the 9/11 attacks.

[@JustBethTrying]

I remember a news report at the time stating that a man who should have been on one of the hijacked flights on 9/11, but missed his flight was killed in the crash on 11/12.

[@johnjustjohn8168]

he had a date with death anyway ...

[@ashkanahmadi]

Great video as usual thanks. I'm curious about planes that do not have any vertical stabilizers like the B-22 bombers. How do they stay very stable with the vertical stabilizer?

[@airfoxtrot2006]

Very interesting video Mentour i enjoyed it, hope you have a great Weekend my friend.

[@JacopoT]

Nice video. You may want to equip yourself with a small scale model airplane as a visual aid to this kind of flight physics videos. I liked the axes rotations mimics, though! :)

[@ahmedshamseldin3705]

Amazing Video, real physics applications and basics of flight principles.

[@floralmogul5910]

Excellent video Mr. Mentour!.GREAT job, sir! Amen....😇🇺🇸👍✈

[@PeetvanderWalt]

Excellent video!!

[@luckyirvin]

Salute, Sir outstanding teacher

[@cristinaforzanti6156]

Great video! Now I understand much better why, during turns, I don’t feel much even with steep turns. I understand that you need to do it but do you think is there a particular reason why this makes me feel queasy all the same? Is it something similar to car sickness where your ear feels you are still and your eyes see the movement?

[@02R96]

Just curious, have you ever been involved in a critical failure and how did you handle it? Love your series!

[@MarbewRecords]

You are super. I am learning so much from you. Thank you

[@Turiargov]

13:06 Erm... I never had a full cup of coffee during departure. ;-)

[@Andy.Moores]

Absolutely Fantastic!

[@mechtheist]

Another highly informative video, thank you. In coordinated turns, you might have mentioned that, while 'down' is kept perpendicular to the floor of the aircraft, that necessitates an increase in total force pushing you into your seat--the always present 1g of gravity plus the side-ways centrifugal force due to turning. 'Coordinated' turning means you bank enough so that the centrifugal force just rotates the total force vector so it point perpendicular to the floor. If I remember correctly, I think a 60° bank will result in a 2-g turn, meaning all weights will double. You can really notice this when you try to take a sip of your cocktail during a turn. Have you read Wolfgang Langewiesche's "Stick and Rudder"? It's a must for pilots, still great even though written in 1944. He never believed in the Bernoulli principle explanation for lift and explains why in the book. It's still being debated now I think. Where do you stand on this? Is it the Bernoulli thing or is it due to the air deflected downward due to the wings' angle of attack?

[@daleinaz1]

You CAN generate lift by the wing's angle of attack, that's how stunt planes can fly upside-down. But it creates a lot of drag, because of the turbulence generated on the upper surface. Efficiency is critical in commercial airlines. You could make a flat wing and use angle of attack for lift, but you would burn a lot more fuel.

[@mechtheist]

@@daleinaz1 Ah, but the question isn't if it's possible to generate lift that way but whether that IS the mechanism of lift generation. I don't think the question is settled yet, I saw something on it just a year or two ago. It's always been taught that it's the Bernoulli principle but then someone came out with an analysis that said no, it's the angle of attack. I think that was maybe 10 years ago, maybe 15, my memory sucks for timing. The recent thing I saw said something like wait a minute, it might look like angle of attack overall, but if you look at what's going on at small scales, Bernoulli pops his head back up.

[@barrylunch]

Great video as always. Until you discussed the load sheet, it had not really occurred to me how pax seating could demonstrably affect the performance. Now I’m even more curious about by how much. Say you had a half-full cabin, and were trimmed up in level flight, flying manually (autopilot off). If a pax got up and walked to the back, would the AoA start to creep up noticeably? How quickly would it become apparent? What if it were two pax, or five, or ten?

[@jnbfrancisco]

Great video. When I have told people that the elevator produces a down force and not a lifting force , I get the you're crazy look.

[@tomaszg4699]

Great video, as always! ;)

[@MentourPilot]

Fantastic that you thought so!

[@Noio_]

Great class of physics. One question, how the rudder is kept in one side in crosswind landings regarding the limitations explained? Thanks

[@sharoncassell9358]

On landing you do use rudder pedals to keep on the centerline.

[@neenagupta4695]

U do a good mimic of sounds

[@YardSaleBC]

Has there been any tests on putting the rudder on the winglets instead? I.e. completely remove the vertical stabilizer and put total rudder area divided by two on the winglets. Maybe dirty air on the leeside and too much stress on the wings could be a problem?

[@violaorulez]

Hi Mentour. Great video. Yesterday I saw a 777-3DE(ER) from SwissAir at GRU airport and i was able to see the vertical stabilizer divided in two: a bigger piece about the same height of the fin, and a second one much smaller, close to the APU exaust. Why is that? Could it be for a different speed regime, similar to the inner ailerons? Keep up the good work.

[@ljdarbyshire]

Another great video Mentour. Ive watched all of them. Very intriguing! Makes a long haul flight that bit more interesting knowing each and every step. Keep up the great work. Just worried you may run out of things some day.

[@MentourPilot]

That’s not likely. :) there are always more details I can get into! Thank you for your kind words!

[@jesseyasaitis9036]

@@MentourPilot Are there topics that you aren't allowed to discuss?

[@wildgurgs3614]

Wow, I didn't know the rear wing produced negative lift! This makes so much sense now that I think about it! XD

[@yokyo2263]

Awesome informations.

[@au1947]

wow great explanation..