Definition
A cockpit control, typically a small wheel or handle turned by hand, used to adjust the angle of an adjustable stabilizer or trim tab so the aircraft will hold a desired pitch attitude without continuous control wheel pressure from the pilot.
Plain English
A small hand wheel or handle in the cockpit that the pilot turns to relieve the pressure they would otherwise have to keep applying to the control wheel to hold the nose up or down.
Context Anchor
Seen in airplanes with manual trim controls, especially in discussions of adjustable stabilizers and cockpit trim setting before and during flight.
Derivation
‘Trim’ comes from the older nautical sense of adjusting a vessel so it sits properly balanced in the water. ‘Crank’ refers to the hand-turned wheel or handle. Together: the hand control used to balance the aircraft in flight.
Why Pilots Care
It lets the pilot remove steady control pressure during cruise or climb, reducing fatigue and improving precision.
Grounding Statement
Turning the trim crank makes a small adjustment that changes how much the airplane tends to raise or lower its nose without constant pilot force.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse the trim crank with cranking or starting the engine. Here, “crank” means a hand control you turn, and “trim” means balancing control forces, not cutting something off.
Example Sentence 1
After leveling off at cruise altitude and setting power, the pilot rolled the trim crank forward until the control wheel pressure was gone.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight checklist the trim crank was set to the takeoff position marked on the indicator.