What is the purpose of the elevator system?

• A. Roll axis
• B. Yaw axis
• C. Pitch axis
• D. Center of gravity

Answer: (C)

Pitch control around the aircraft’s lateral axis is what the elevator system provides. The elevator is a movable horizontal surface on the tail that tilts up or down. When it deflects upward, it increases the tail’s downward force, raising the nose and creating a pitch-up attitude for climbing. When it deflects downward, the nose lowers for descent. This mechanism directly changes the angle of attack and altitude. Roll is controlled by the ailerons, yaw by the rudder, and the center of gravity is the balance point of the aircraft, not a surface that moves to control pitch.