"miso" wrote in message
om...
Does the airbrake put it's force on the center of gravity of the
plane? If not, how does the pilot compensate for the force? [Yeah, I
know, there are no dumb questions, though maybe I'm asking one or
two.]

There were no noticeable pitch changes that I've ever encountered with speed
brakes at any speed in the aircraft I've flown that had them. I should note
that on the F14, although there's no speed restriction on the brakes, they
will begin a blowback at 400kts.
It's interesting as well to note as to your question about pitch change,
that some designs like the Turkey, deploy both ways in pitch, but I've not
had a problem in the Talon either, and that is a split brake under the
fuselage. The 86 deploys on both sides rear; no problem there either that I
could see. It's interesting about the Thud's design as Ed has noted. That
flower back there extending into a circumference of the airstream must
create one hell of a linear deceleration.
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired
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