What happens to the aircraft during a sideslip?

During a sideslip, the aircraft moves diagonally across its forward path. This happens when the aircraft is banked into a turn while intentionally allowing the nose to point slightly away from the direction of the turn. The yawing motion, caused by uncoordinated flight (often due to aileron input without corresponding rudder input), results in the aircraft's movement across its original flight vector.

In this condition, the resulting airflow creates a horizontal component that is angled to the direction of travel, which produces drag and affects how lift is generated on the wings. The angle of sideslip can impact control responsiveness, but the key characteristic of a sideslip is indeed this diagonal movement across the aircraft’s original flight path, illustrating the interaction between yaw and roll dynamics in flight.