CONTROL POWER

The term control power is used to describe the efficacy of a control in producing a range of steady equilibrium or maneuvering states. For example, an elevator control, which by taking positions between full up and full down can hold the airplane in equilibrium at all speeds in its speed range, for all configurations[4] and CG positions, is a powerful control. On the other hand, a rudder that is not capable at full deflection of maintaining equilibrium of yawing moments in a condition of one engine out and negligible sideslip is not powerful enough. The handling qualities requirements nor­mally specify the specific speed ranges that must be achievable with full elevator de­flection in the various important configurations and the asymmetric power condition that the rudder must balance. They may also contain references to the elevator angles required to achieve positive load factors, as in steady turns and pull-up maneuvers (see “elevator angle per g" Sec. 3.1).