What is rudder?

A rudder is like the steering wheel of a boat or plane, it helps them turn.

Imagine you're on a bike, and you want to go around the corner of the playground. You twist your handlebars, and poof, you change direction. A rudder does something very similar, but for bigger things like boats or airplanes.

On a boat, the rudder is like a big flat paddle at the back. When the boat moves forward, water flows past it. If you push the rudder to one side, the water pushes back, making the boat turn in that direction, just like how turning your handlebars makes your bike go left or right.

Airplanes have a rudder, too, but it’s on the tail of the plane. Pilots use it to steer the plane when they're flying, especially when they’re going around a bend in the sky, like when you’re playing with toy planes and they loop-de-loop!

So whether it's a boat cutting through waves or a plane soaring high above, the rudder helps them turn, just like your handlebars help you steer your bike. A rudder is like the steering wheel of a boat or plane, it helps them turn.

Imagine you're on a bike, and you want to go around the corner of the playground. You twist your handlebars, and poof, you change direction. A rudder does something very similar, but for bigger things like boats or airplanes.