PLT352: Stabilator Function
What code PLT352 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Stabilator Function before your checkride.
Recall purpose / operation of a stabilizer
What this means for your checkride
A stabilator is a one-piece horizontal tail surface that pivots as a unit and is moved with the control wheel, just as an elevator is. When the pilot pulls back, the stabilator pivots so its trailing edge moves up, changing the aerodynamic force on the tail to control pitch.
Pilots must understand how the pitch control surface produces a tail-down or tail-up force and how a stabilator differs from a fixed stabilizer with a separate elevator.
A stabilator is not a fixed surface; the entire surface moves, so control inputs have a strong pitch effect and often use an antiservo tab.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.