Flight control surfaces

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Flight control surfaces on fixed-wing aircraft enable pilots to manage the plane's attitude during flight. Early attempts at creating lift led to uncontrollable aircraft once airborne, often with catastrophic consequences. Effective flight controls were thus crucial for stable flight. This article discusses typical aircraft control surfaces, but variations may exist for other fixed-wing designs. Rotary wing aircraft like helicopters or autogyros use distinct controls (pedals and cyclic stick) to manipulate rotating components, achieving the same three-axis motion.