Which axis runs from nose to tail of the aircraft?

Which axis runs from nose to tail of the aircraft?

• A. Longitudinal axis
• B. Lateral axis
• C. Vertical axis
• D. Diagonal axis

Answer: (A)

Longitudinal axis runs along the fuselage from nose to tail, and rotations around this axis cause the aircraft to roll—lifting one wing and tilting the other. This axis is tied to the ailerons, which control that rolling motion. In contrast, the lateral axis runs wingtip to wingtip and controls pitch (nose up or down) with the elevator, while the vertical axis runs top to bottom and controls yaw (nose left or right) with the rudder. The diagonal axis isn’t used in standard flight dynamics. So the axis that runs from nose to tail is the longitudinal axis.

Longitudinal axis runs along the fuselage from nose to tail, and rotations around this axis cause the aircraft to roll—lifting one wing and tilting the other. This axis is tied to the ailerons, which control that rolling motion. In contrast, the lateral axis runs wingtip to wingtip and controls pitch (nose up or down) with the elevator, while the vertical axis runs top to bottom and controls yaw (nose left or right) with the rudder. The diagonal axis isn’t used in standard flight dynamics. So the axis that runs from nose to tail is the longitudinal axis.