SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-axes-cg

In flight, an airplane rotates around which point?

Its center of gravity.

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  1. Its nose
  2. Its tail
  3. Its center of gravity ✔

Why: The roll, pitch and yaw axes all pass through the center of gravity. Control forces create moments that rotate the airplane about those axes.

Huh, didn't know that: NASA says the Wright brothers' 1902 glider was the first aircraft to show active control on all three axes.

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Why is the center of gravity so popular? Everything revolves around it.
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References

Answer: Its center of gravity. The roll, pitch and yaw axes all pass through the center of gravity. Control forces create moments that rotate the airplane about those axes.

  1. Aircraft Rotations, NASA Glenn Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/aircraft-rotations
    In flight, any aircraft will rotate about its center of gravity
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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