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Turn Indicator

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71 views

Turn Indicator

Uploaded by

candy janoras
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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-TURN INDICATOR

A turn coordinator is an important instrument in aviation, used to help pilots


maintain proper control of the aircraft, especially during turns.
DEFINITION: It shows the rate at which the aircraft is turning about its vertical axis
yaw. This is typically displayed with a miniature airplane symbol, and it helps the
pilot understand whether the aircraft is in a coordinated turn.
Below the main display is a curved tube with a small ball inside, which serves as the
slip/skid indicator. The ball shows whether the aircraft is slipping where the turn is
not tight enough or skidding where the turn is too tight. Ideally, the ball should stay
centered during a turn, indicating a coordinated maneuver.
Without proper reference, a pilot might not realize the plane is banking. Over time,
this could lead to a dangerous spiral dive, which can result in loss of control.
FUNCTION: The primary function of the turn coordinator is to display the aircraft’s
rate of turn around its vertical axis (yaw). It uses a gyroscope to sense this
movement and displays it through a miniature airplane symbol on the instrument.
When the airplane tilts, it shows the direction and rate of the turn. The instrument is
typically calibrated for a "standard rate turn," which is 3° per second, allowing a full
360° turn in two minutes. Maintaining a standard rate turn is essential for controlled
flight, especially under instrument flight rules (IFR).
Below the miniature airplane is a ball within a curved tube, known as the
inclinometer or slip/skid indicator. This ball moves in response to centrifugal forces.
If the ball is centered, the turn is coordinated, meaning the aircraft's yaw and roll
are balanced. If the ball moves off-center, the aircraft is either slipping (ball toward
the inside of the turn) or skidding (ball toward the outside), both of which indicate
improper control input.
HOW IT WOKRS: The turn coordinator is one of three gyro-driven instruments in the
panel of your training airplane. The turn coordinator’s gyro is mounted on a 30-
degree angle upward from the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.
The turn coordinator is essentially two instruments in one. It senses rolling, yawing,
and turning movements, and it displays those movements via two components: a
needle that looks like an airplane and rotates right or left, and the inclinometer—a
black ball suspended in liquid that rolls right, left, or remains in the middle
depending on whether you are applying the correct amount of rudder during a turn.
The turn coordinator is like the turn and bank indicator, which senses roll (but not
yaw) and displays rate of turn (see “Turn and Slip Indicator,” this page).
When you turn on the airplane’s master switch, the electrical system will power up
the turn coordinator’s gyro, and its warning flag should stow within about 30
seconds to let you know that it is functional. (The whirring noise you hear when you
turn on the master switch is likely the gyros in the turn coordinator spinning up.)
That flag, however, only signals the presence of electrical power. If the gyro stops
working, the turn coordinator will fail and read incorrectly. Some turn coordinators in
older aircraft are powered only by the vacuum pump.

IMPORTANCE: is a critical flight instrument that enhances both the safety and
precision of flying, especially in low-visibility conditions or during instrument flight.
Its primary importance lies in helping pilots maintain controlled and coordinated
turns.
One of the most vital functions of the turn coordinator is preventing unintentional
spirals or banked turns. When visual cues outside the aircraft are limited, such as in
clouds or at night, the pilot may not realize the aircraft is banking. If unnoticed, this
can lead to a dangerous situation, such as a spiral dive, where the aircraft loses
altitude rapidly. The turn coordinator helps pilots maintain controlled turns by
providing clear feedback on the rate of turn.
lips and skids can lead to instability, making it harder to control the aircraft and
potentially leading to stalls, especially during low-speed maneuvers or steep turns.
The turn coordinator’s slip/skid indicator ball shows whether rudder and aileron
inputs are balanced, ensuring the aircraft flies smoothly and efficiently.

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