Aileron

Continuing through my misconceptions dispelled since I started studying aviation… Airplanes turn and climb by pointing their engines in the direction they want to go.

I imagined airplanes as kind of like weak rocketships and, to go left for example, directed engine thrust to the right. To be fair, the physics of my little misconceived world isn't incorrect – if you were really set on it, you could yaw the plane without banking the wings, and it would eventually change direction – but it would skid for some distance, meaning it would fly sideways somewhat, before the direction of velocity lined up with its heading again. As in cars, skidding is not the most desirable way to turn.

The heart of this misconception is that, in reality, engines are weaker than I thought. At maximum power, the total thrust of an airliner is only around 25% of aircraft weight, and so right away, it's obvious that using that thrust to climb, where a force greater than the weight of the aircraft is required, just won't work.

Instead, the force that can be developed by the wings (lift) is far greater than what the engines can produce. An aircraft turns by directing lift in the direction of the turn (banking). An aircraft climbs because pitching up increases lift. Lift is capable of forces in excess of 3 G, that is 300% of aircraft weight, meaning the wings are at least twelve times (where thrust is ¼ G) stronger than the engines.

Yet another example of the quiet, elegant member of the team being secretly stronger than the one making all the noise.