Which item is not a flight control surface?

Which item is not a flight control surface?

• A. Aileron
• B. Elevator
• C. Rudder
• D. Empennage

Answer: (D)

Flight control surfaces are the movable parts that directly alter the aircraft’s attitude. The three well-known examples are the aileron on the wing (controls roll), the elevator on the horizontal stabilizer (controls pitch), and the rudder on the vertical stabilizer (controls yaw). The tail section as a whole is called the empennage, which is the structure that supports those surfaces. It’s not a single movable surface itself. So the item that is not a flight control surface is the empennage, because it’s the tail’s assembly rather than an individual surface you move to steer the aircraft.

Flight control surfaces are the movable parts that directly alter the aircraft’s attitude. The three well-known examples are the aileron on the wing (controls roll), the elevator on the horizontal stabilizer (controls pitch), and the rudder on the vertical stabilizer (controls yaw). The tail section as a whole is called the empennage, which is the structure that supports those surfaces. It’s not a single movable surface itself. So the item that is not a flight control surface is the empennage, because it’s the tail’s assembly rather than an individual surface you move to steer the aircraft.