Air Brake (aircraft) - Split Control Surfaces

Split Control Surfaces

The deceleron is an aileron that functions normally in flight but can split in half such that the top half goes up as the bottom half goes down to brake. This technique was first used on the F-89 Scorpion and has since been used by Northrop on several aircraft, including the B-2 Spirit.

The space shuttle used a similar system. The split rudder opened on landing to act as a speed brake, as shown in the accompanying photo.

Read more about this topic:  Air Brake (aircraft)

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