Rudder

The rudder 'steers' the aircraft. It makes it go either left/right, or you can leave it straight.

The rudder is used for Yaw, which is the aircraft's ability to turn left and right without actually banking, it just sort of pivots.

On the ground, the rudder functions to control the front wheel to turn. It also is used to correct for a crosswind, apply rudder in the opposite direction from whatever way the wind is blowing, and it'll keep you on track better

Hi,
The rudder is used to counteract cross winds. For landings and take offs, if there is a cross wind from the west (left) then you would have to turn the rudder a few degrees to the left. This means that the rudder stops the aircraft from drifting when you are rolling to take off because it turns the plane into the wind. I hope this makes sense because it isn't very clear 😕 . It is used on approach for the same purpose, so the plane stays on cause, and the cross wind does not "knock" it off course.

If you don't know what it's for, and don't have pedals, don't worry about it. Just leave "autocoordination" on in your settings. The pilot training will explain so you understand if you're curious.

It also coordinates your turns, so sideslip is reduced, and it's the only control surface on the plane that doesn't move up & down, but that's not important right now

The rudder does NOT steer the plane contrary to common belief. Lateral lift steers the plane. As you bank left or right, you begin to slide in the direction of bank, the plane will then effectivly weathervane in the direction of the bank, Hence-it turns. The rudder does contribute signifantly to the process. However the rudder is not the central focus of the turn. The primary purpose of the rudder is to coordinate the turn, hence the turn coordinator. You use the rudder to keep the ball centered during turns. If you don't , you will either slip, or skid in the turn. If you are slipping, you need more rudder into the turn, if you are skidding you need more rudder opposite the turn. Uncoordinated turns are especially deadly when you are low and slow, i.e. pattern turns during approach. When you are low and slow, it is crucial the keep the craft square to the wind during turns lest one wing stalls before the other and sends you into a spin with no hope of recovery, this is the common killer in pattern accidents. The rudder IS central the crosswind landings. It allows you to slip against the wind and keeps the plane aligned with the runway all at the same time. I just wish the news media would finally get it right about the rudder. There is no excuse for the media to mislead the public about this by way of ignorance. It's pathetic. It's the 21st Century for Gods sake.