How does Engine Torque affect an aircraft during flight?

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Engine torque refers to the rotational force produced by the aircraft's engine, which affects the airplane's behavior in flight, particularly during takeoff and climb. When an airplane has a propeller-driven engine, the engine's rotation generates torque that creates a reactionary force on the aircraft's airframe. This typically results in a left turning tendency, particularly in a clockwise rotating engine, which causes the right wing to produce more lift as the left wing tends to drop.

The left turning tendency due to torque is compounded by several factors, such as P-factor (where the descending blade of the propeller generates more thrust), and the effects of slipstream and gyroscopic precession. These factors work together to produce a net left yawing motion in the aircraft, which pilots must counteract with right rudder inputs during critical phases of flight, like takeoff and climb. Thus, the correct explanation of engine torque's effect on an aircraft during flight is that it indeed results in a left turning tendency.

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