If you get pushed from one side only, doesnt that mean the plane can only go to the opposite lane? Or cicrling
In: 2
In a way, yes. If you have a plane with 2 engines and one dies, then you are going to have a tendency for the nose of the plane to slide to the left or right, whichever side the dead engine is on (this motion is called **yaw**). However, unless you have a pair of rocket engines strapped to your wings, this should be controllable. One way to control it is to use the **rudder**. The rudder is the part of the tail that sticks straight up. When it moves side to side, it also creates yaw, and you can use that to fight the yaw caused by the dead engine.
The other way, and the much more effective method, is a technique pilots call “raising the dead”. Airplanes turn by rolling their wings. The force that was pushing straight up on the wing is now angled off to the side, and that sideways tilt makes the plane turn. If you roll away from the dead engine (raising it higher than the one that’s still alive), you can cancel out the yaw caused by it.
The short answer is yes, but the force imbalance caused by the one-sided thrust is small enough that the plane’s control surfaces can fight it.
Hope that helps!
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