Different Parts of an Aircraft

An aircraft is made up of a number of basic parts and control surfaces. Although aircraft look different, every aircraft has the same basic components. These components may be different shapes and made of different materials, but all have similar jobs in controlling the airplane and allowing it to fly.

Fuselage

The fuselage, or the body of the airplane, is what holds people, control systems and cargo. Different airplane fuselages are made of different materials, but most are made of thin, light aluminum. In the past, some airplane fuselages were made of wood. Some modern airplanes use light composite materials as fuselage skin.

Empennage

The empennage, or tail section, contains most of the surfaces that control the direction of the airplane in flight. The control systems usually found in the empennage are the vertical stabilizer, the rudder and the horizontal stabilizer.

Wings

The wings, which are connected to the fuselage, provide the lift that allows the airplane to fly. Wings also contain control surfaces that adjust wing lift. These control surfaces are the flaps, which directly control lift, and the ailerons, which control the airplane's roll. In some aircraft the wings also contain fuel tanks.

Engine

The engine produces the power that allows the airplane to fly. There are several types of engines. Jet engines produce thrust through a turbine system, while propellers spin to produce thrust. Propellers can be powered either by turbines, similar to the ones used in jets, or by gasoline engines.

Control Surfaces

The control surfaces of the aircraft change airflow to control the direction of the airplane when in flight. The rudder controls side-to-side motion. The elevators control up-and-down motion. The vertical stabilizer controls yaw, a type of side-to-side motion. Those three controls are located on the tail section, or empennage. The other two control surfaces of an airplane are flaps, which change the lift of the wing, and the aileron. The aileron changes the roll of the airplane in flight. Some larger airplanes, like airliners, also have a control surface called a spoiler. A spoiler helps adjust lift, drag and roll.

Landing Gear

All aircraft have wheels attached to landing gear. In some airplanes, the landing gear can be drawn up inside the fuselage to reduce drag in flight. This is called retractable landing gear. In other airplanes, the landing gear stays in place during flight. This is called fixed landing gear.

References

• Parts of an Airplane
• Aeronautics - Parts of an Airplane