Aerodynamic drag on light aircraft open door
Hello folks,
This one surprised me a bit, and I'd like some input on the theory behind this fact.
While flying a C152, we decided to open the doors in flight to observe how the aircraft would react.
We opened the right door, and I thought that with additional drag (and like a rudder) the aircraft would yaw to the right.
Instead, the nose turned to the left, and vice-versa with the left door.
Two possible explanations arised, first being that an air cushion is formed between the door and the fuselage, pushing the nose to the other side. The second is that the door is forward from the cg, therefore acting like an inversed rudder. Of course, the two theories complete each other, but maybe some here could explain it better.
Any explanations are welcome!