{"id":31772924,"date":"2026-11-08T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T10:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/p-factor-torque-left-turning-tendencies-right-rudder-takeoff-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-11-08T11:11:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T10:11:45","slug":"p-factor-torque-left-turning-tendencies-right-rudder-takeoff-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/es\/p-factor-torque-left-turning-tendencies-right-rudder-takeoff-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"P-Factor and Torque: Why Propeller Planes Need Right Rudder"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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Within seconds the nose starts drifting left, as if the runway were tilted. Flight instructors have a two-word cure for this, and every student pilot hears it hundreds of times: &ldquo;Right rudder!&rdquo;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The drift is not a fault in the aircraft. It is physics, and not just one piece of it. The FAA&rsquo;s <em>Pilot&rsquo;s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge<\/em> breaks what pilots loosely call &ldquo;torque&rdquo; into four separate effects that all come from the spinning propeller: torque reaction, the corkscrewing slipstream, gyroscopic precession and asymmetric blade loading, better known as P-factor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>All four push the same way on a typical single-engine aircraft at take-off. Here is how each one works, and why the answer to all of them is your right foot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>What:<\/strong> Left-turning tendencies of single-engine propeller aircraft<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Assumes:<\/strong> Propeller turning clockwise as seen from the cockpit, the common US arrangement<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>1. Torque reaction:<\/strong> Aircraft rolls opposite to the propeller; extra drag on the left tyre on the ground<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>2. Spiralling slipstream:<\/strong> Corkscrew airflow hits the left side of the fin; strongest at high power, low speed<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>3. Gyroscopic precession:<\/strong> Force on the propeller disc acts 90&deg; later; mainly when a taildragger raises its tail<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>4. P-factor:<\/strong> Descending blade makes more thrust at high angle of attack; nose yaws left<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Correction:<\/strong> Right rudder (and rudder trim), not brakes<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Main source:<\/strong> FAA Pilot&rsquo;s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, chapter 5<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Which way is the propeller turning?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Everything starts with the direction of rotation. As the FAA handbook notes, most engines built in the United States turn the propeller clockwise as seen from the pilot&rsquo;s seat. Every &ldquo;left-turning&rdquo; tendency in this article assumes that clockwise propeller. Reverse the rotation and every effect reverses too, which, as Spitfire pilots discovered, is not just a theoretical point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;To the pilot, \u201ctorque\u201d (the left turning tendency of the airplane) is made up of four elements that cause or produce a twisting or rotating motion around at least one of the airplane\u2019s three axes.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>FAA<\/strong> &mdash; <em>Pilot&rsquo;s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge<\/em> (FAA-H-8083-25), chapter 5<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">1. Torque reaction: Newton pushes back<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Newton&rsquo;s third law says every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The engine spins the propeller clockwise, so the propeller tries to spin the aircraft anti-clockwise. In the air that shows up as a tendency to roll left around the longitudinal axis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Designers fight this with the rigging. The FAA handbook says some older aircraft were rigged to give more lift on the wing being forced down, while more modern designs offset the engine slightly. These fixes are usually set for cruise speed, where the aircraft spends most of its time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>On the ground, torque reaction has a sneakier side effect. The rolling force pushes the left main wheel harder into the runway, which creates more friction on the left tyre than on the right. More drag on the left means the nose turns left. The FAA lists engine power, propeller size and rpm, aircraft size and the runway surface as the things that decide how strong this is.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SxtHyhoBHjk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">MzeroA Flight Training walks through the four left-turning tendencies a student pilot has to master.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">2. The corkscrew slipstream<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>A propeller does not push air straight back. It throws it backwards in a spiral that wraps around the fuselage. At high power and low airspeed, the classic take-off condition, that spiral is tight and compact, and it strikes the left side of the vertical fin. The result is a push on the tail that yaws the nose to the left.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>As speed builds, the spiral stretches out and the effect weakens. Interestingly, the FAA notes that the slipstream also creates a rolling moment to the right, which partly works against the leftward roll from torque reaction. The forces vary so much that the pilot simply has to correct for whatever dominates at the moment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/p-38-lightning-counter-rotating-propellers-takeoff.jpg\" alt=\"Polished P-38L Lightning of the Flying Bulls getting airborne at Duxford with its two propellers turning\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The Flying Bulls&rsquo; P-38L Lightning getting airborne at Flying Legends, Duxford, in 2015. Its handed engines turn the two propellers in opposite directions so their torque cancels out. Photo: Alan Wilson \/ CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">3. Gyroscopic precession: the tailwheel trap<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>A spinning propeller is a gyroscope, and gyroscopes behave strangely. Push on the rim of a spinning disc and the reaction appears 90 degrees later, in the direction of rotation. That is precession.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>This effect matters most in tailwheel aircraft. A taildragger starts its take-off roll nose-high. When the pilot raises the tail, the propeller disc tilts forward, which is the same as pushing on the top of the disc. With a clockwise propeller, that push appears 90 degrees later on the right side of the disc, and the nose yaws left. The faster the tail comes up, the stronger the swing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Precession works in every direction: any yaw produces a pitching moment, and any pitch produces a yaw. The FAA handbook&rsquo;s advice is to use elevator and rudder together to stop the aircraft doing what the gyroscope wants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4u8nXHTQvGU\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Gold Seal Flight Training explains gyroscopic precession and why it bites hardest when a taildragger lifts its tail.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">4. P-factor: one blade bites harder<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>P-factor, or asymmetric loading, appears whenever the aircraft flies at a high angle of attack, such as in the climb after take-off. With the nose high, the propeller disc is tilted up relative to the oncoming air. The blade swinging down on the right side meets the air at a higher speed and a higher angle of attack than the blade swinging up on the left.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>A propeller blade is a wing, so more speed and more angle mean more thrust. The descending right blade pulls harder, the centre of thrust shifts to the right of the propeller hub, and the nose yaws left. P-factor is strongest at high power and high angle of attack, which is why the climb-out after take-off demands right rudder long after the wheels leave the ground.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;When an aircraft is flying with a high AOA, the \u201cbite\u201d of the downward moving blade is greater than the \u201cbite\u201d of the upward moving blade.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>FAA<\/strong> &mdash; <em>Pilot&rsquo;s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge<\/em> (FAA-H-8083-25), on P-factor<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Tailwheel aircraft feel more P-factor during the ground roll, because the propeller disc is already tilted with the tail on the ground. In twin-engine aircraft whose propellers turn the same way, P-factor also decides which engine is the &ldquo;critical engine&rdquo;: on most, losing the left engine is worse because the right engine&rsquo;s thrust line sits further from the fuselage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Right rudder, and how much<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Add the four together and a clockwise-propeller aircraft at full power and low speed wants to go left. The FAA&rsquo;s <em>Airplane Flying Handbook<\/em> tells pilots to advance the throttle smoothly, keep their feet on the rudder pedals and use whatever rudder pressure is needed to hold the centreline. Brakes are not the answer: steering with them slows acceleration and can cause a severe swerve.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>As speed grows, the rudder becomes more effective and smaller pedal inputs do the job. In the climb, P-factor and slipstream still need steady right rudder pressure, or rudder trim if the aircraft has it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;An abrupt application of power may cause the airplane to yaw sharply to the left because of the torque effects of the engine and propeller. This is most apparent in high horsepower engines.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>FAA<\/strong> &mdash; <em>Airplane Flying Handbook<\/em> (FAA-H-8083-3C), chapter 6: Takeoffs and Departure Climbs<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">When the propeller turns the other way<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>History offers a perfect proof that this is all about rotation. The Merlin-engined <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/supermarine-spitfire\/\">Spitfire<\/a> swung left on take-off like most fighters of its day. The later Griffon engine turned its propeller the opposite way, so pilots converting to Griffon Spitfires found the fighter swinging to the right instead, and had to relearn their trim and rudder habits.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/11\/spitfire-merlin-xvi-griffon-xiv-propellers-duxford.jpg\" alt=\"A Merlin-engined Spitfire XVI with a four-blade propeller parked beside a Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV with a five-blade propeller at Duxford\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A Merlin-engined Spitfire XVI (left) beside a Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV at Duxford in 2011. The Griffon turned its propeller the opposite way, so Griffon Spitfires swung right on take-off instead of left. Photo: Alan Wilson \/ CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Other designers removed the problem altogether. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-38-lightning\/\">Lockheed P-38 Lightning<\/a> used &ldquo;handed&rdquo; engines whose crankshafts turned in opposite directions, so its two propellers cancelled each other&rsquo;s torque. Contra-rotating propellers, two propellers on one shaft spinning opposite ways, do the same on types such as the late Seafires and the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/avro-shackleton\/\">Avro Shackleton<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zwd9I_fIVZc\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">flight-club&rsquo;s explainer on P-factor, the asymmetric blade effect, shows why the descending blade produces more thrust.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the rest of us, flying a single-engine aircraft with one clockwise propeller, the physics comes down to a habit. Feel the swing, press the right pedal, keep the nose on a point at the far end of the runway. Four effects, one foot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: FAA Pilot&rsquo;s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25, chapter 5), FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C, chapter 6), Boldmethod, Wikipedia (P-factor; Rolls-Royce Griffon; Lockheed P-38 Lightning)<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What are the four left-turning tendencies?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The four left-turning tendencies of a propeller aircraft are torque reaction, the spiralling or corkscrew slipstream, gyroscopic precession and asymmetric propeller loading, known as P-factor. The FAA groups them together as what pilots call torque. With a clockwise-turning propeller, all four tend to swing the nose left during take-off and climb.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is P-factor in a propeller aircraft?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">P-factor is asymmetric propeller loading. At a high angle of attack, the descending blade on the right side of the disc meets the air faster and at a higher angle than the ascending blade, so it produces more thrust. The centre of thrust moves right and the aircraft yaws left. It is strongest at high power and low speed.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why do pilots need right rudder on take-off?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Pilots need right rudder on take-off because torque reaction, the spiralling slipstream, gyroscopic precession and P-factor all push the nose of a clockwise-propeller aircraft to the left at high power and low speed. The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook tells pilots to use whatever rudder pressure is needed to stay on the centreline rather than steering with brakes.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is spiralling slipstream?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Spiralling slipstream is the corkscrew-shaped airflow thrown back by a propeller. At high power and low airspeed the spiral is tight and strikes the left side of the vertical fin, yawing the nose left. As speed increases the spiral stretches out and the effect weakens. It also creates a small rolling moment to the right.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How does gyroscopic precession affect a tailwheel aircraft?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A spinning propeller acts like a gyroscope, so a force on its disc takes effect 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. When a tailwheel aircraft raises its tail on the take-off roll, the propeller disc tilts forward, and with a clockwise propeller the nose yaws left. Raising the tail abruptly makes the swing stronger.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Do all propeller aircraft turn left on take-off?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. The left swing assumes a propeller turning clockwise as seen from the cockpit, the usual arrangement on US-built engines. If the propeller turns the other way, every effect reverses: Griffon-engined Spitfires swung right on take-off. Twins with counter-rotating propellers, such as the P-38 Lightning, cancel the effect.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the four left-turning tendencies?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The four left-turning tendencies of a propeller aircraft are torque reaction, the spiralling or corkscrew slipstream, gyroscopic precession and asymmetric propeller loading, known as P-factor. The FAA groups them together as what pilots call torque. With a clockwise-turning propeller, all four tend to swing the nose left during take-off and climb.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is P-factor in a propeller aircraft?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"P-factor is asymmetric propeller loading. At a high angle of attack, the descending blade on the right side of the disc meets the air faster and at a higher angle than the ascending blade, so it produces more thrust. The centre of thrust moves right and the aircraft yaws left. It is strongest at high power and low speed.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why do pilots need right rudder on take-off?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Pilots need right rudder on take-off because torque reaction, the spiralling slipstream, gyroscopic precession and P-factor all push the nose of a clockwise-propeller aircraft to the left at high power and low speed. The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook tells pilots to use whatever rudder pressure is needed to stay on the centreline rather than steering with brakes.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is spiralling slipstream?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Spiralling slipstream is the corkscrew-shaped airflow thrown back by a propeller. At high power and low airspeed the spiral is tight and strikes the left side of the vertical fin, yawing the nose left. As speed increases the spiral stretches out and the effect weakens. It also creates a small rolling moment to the right.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How does gyroscopic precession affect a tailwheel aircraft?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A spinning propeller acts like a gyroscope, so a force on its disc takes effect 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. When a tailwheel aircraft raises its tail on the take-off roll, the propeller disc tilts forward, and with a clockwise propeller the nose yaws left. Raising the tail abruptly makes the swing stronger.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Do all propeller aircraft turn left on take-off?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The left swing assumes a propeller turning clockwise as seen from the cockpit, the usual arrangement on US-built engines. If the propeller turns the other way, every effect reverses: Griffon-engined Spitfires swung right on take-off. Twins with counter-rotating propellers, such as the P-38 Lightning, cancel the effect.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/tailwheel-endorsement-taildragger-61-31-i-ground-loop-explained\/\">Tailwheel Endorsement: What It Takes to Fly a Taildragger<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/angle-of-attack-and-the-stall-explained\/\">Angle of Attack and the Stall: Why Wings Stop Working<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fairey-gannet-contra-rotating-submarine-hunter\/\">The Sub-Hunter With Propellers That Spun Both Ways<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/spitfire-xiv-vs-p-51d-mustang-best-piston-fighter-comparison\/\">Spitfire XIV vs P-51D Mustang: Which Was the Better Fighter?<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Torque reaction, the corkscrew slipstream, gyroscopic precession and P-factor all pull a propeller aircraft left on take-off. Here is how each works.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":31772844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31772924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>P-Factor and Torque: Why Planes Need Right Rudder | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"P-factor, torque reaction, spiralling slipstream and gyroscopic precession all pull a propeller plane left on take-off. 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