Which item is not typically considered part of the torque effects that tend to turn the plane to the left?

Which item is not typically considered part of the torque effects that tend to turn the plane to the left?

• A. Rotating slipstream
• B. Gyroscopic effects
• C. P factor
• D. Wing structural deformation

Answer: (D)

The left-turning tendency from a propeller-driven airplane comes from three main effects tied to the propeller and its rotation: P factor, gyroscopic effects, and the rotating slipstream. P factor arises because at high power and high angle of attack, the descending blade on the side opposite the direction the propeller is turning tends to have a higher angle of attack and produce more thrust than the ascending blade. This asymmetric thrust around the propeller disc pushes the nose to turn left. Gyroscopic effects come from the propeller’s angular momentum; when you pitch the nose up or down, the reaction acts 90 degrees to that motion, often producing a yaw that tends to turn the airplane left depending on the propeller’s rotation direction. The rotating slipstream—the air pushed by the spinning prop—wraps around the fuselage and increases flow on one side of the tail, producing a yaw moment toward the left as well. Wing structural deformation, on the other hand, is about aeroelastic bending and twisting of the wing under load. While it affects lift distribution and drag and can influence handling in a broader sense, it isn’t a primary torque effect that tends to yaw the airplane to the left.

The left-turning tendency from a propeller-driven airplane comes from three main effects tied to the propeller and its rotation: P factor, gyroscopic effects, and the rotating slipstream. P factor arises because at high power and high angle of attack, the descending blade on the side opposite the direction the propeller is turning tends to have a higher angle of attack and produce more thrust than the ascending blade. This asymmetric thrust around the propeller disc pushes the nose to turn left. Gyroscopic effects come from the propeller’s angular momentum; when you pitch the nose up or down, the reaction acts 90 degrees to that motion, often producing a yaw that tends to turn the airplane left depending on the propeller’s rotation direction. The rotating slipstream—the air pushed by the spinning prop—wraps around the fuselage and increases flow on one side of the tail, producing a yaw moment toward the left as well.

Wing structural deformation, on the other hand, is about aeroelastic bending and twisting of the wing under load. While it affects lift distribution and drag and can influence handling in a broader sense, it isn’t a primary torque effect that tends to yaw the airplane to the left.