Which control surface is primarily used to produce roll?

• A. Elevator
• B. Rudder
• C. Aileron
• D. Trim Tab

Answer: (C)

Roll is rotation about the airplane’s front-to-back axis, so to make it roll you need to create a difference in lift between the two wings. The surface designed for that is the aileron. They move in opposite directions—one wing’s aileron goes down and the other goes up. The wing with the downward-deflected aileron increases its lift, the opposite wing decreases its lift, and a rolling moment results, tipping the aircraft to one side.

Elevators control pitch, moving the nose up or down about the lateral axis. Rudders control yaw, turning the nose left or right about the vertical axis. Trim tabs adjust the control load and set a neutral attitude but don’t by themselves produce a sustained roll.