This page shows the parts of an airplane and their functions.

Airplanes are transportation devices

which are designed to move people and cargo from one place to another. Airplanes come in many
different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft. The airplane shown on this slide
is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a representative aircraft.

For any airplane to fly, one must lift the weight of the airplane itself, the fuel, the passengers, and the
cargo. The wings generate most of the lift to hold the plane in the air. To generate lift, the airplane
must be pushed through the air. The air resists the motion in the form of aerodynamic drag. Modern
airliners use winglets on the tips of the wings to reduce drag. The turbine engines, which are located
beneath the wings, provide the thrust to overcome drag and push the airplane forward through the air.
Smaller, low-speed airplanes use propellers for the propulsion system instead of turbine engines.

To control and maneuver the aircraft, smaller wings are located at the tail of the plane. The tail usually
has a fixed horizontal piece, called the horizontal stabilizer, and a fixed vertical piece, called the
vertical stabilizer. The stabilizers' job is to provide stability for the aircraft, to keep it flying straight. The
vertical stabilizer keeps the nose of the plane from swinging from side to side, which is called yaw.
The horizontal stabilizer prevents an up-and-down motion of the nose, which is called pitch. (On the
Wright brother's first aircraft, the horizontal stabilizer was placed in front of the wings. Such a
configuration is called a canard after the French word for "duck").

At the rear of the wings and stabilizers are small moving sections that are attached to the fixed
sections by hinges. In the figure, these moving sections are colored brown. Changing the rear portion
of a wing will change the amount of force that the wing produces. The ability to change forces gives
us a means of controlling and maneuvering the airplane. The hinged part of the vertical stabilizer is
called the rudder; it is used to deflect the tail to the left and right as viewed from the front of the
fuselage. The hinged part of the horizontal stabilizer is called the elevator; it is used to deflect the tail
up and down. The outboard hinged part of the wing is called the aileron; it is used to roll the wings
from side to side. Most airliners can also be rolled from side to side by using the spoilers. Spoilers are
small plates that are used to disrupt the flow over the wing and to change the amount of force by
decreasing the lift when the spoiler is deployed.

The wings have additional hinged, rear sections near the body that are called flaps. Flaps are
deployed downward on takeoff and landing to increase the amount of force produced by the wing. On
some aircraft, the front part of the wing will also deflect. Slats are used at takeoff and landing to
produce additional force. The spoilers are also used during landing to slow the plane down and to
counteract the flaps when the aircraft is on the ground. The next time you fly on an airplane, notice
how the wing shape changes during takeoff and landing.
The fuselage or body of the airplane, holds all the pieces together. The pilots sit in the cockpit at the
front of the fuselage. Passengers and cargo are carried in the rear of the fuselage. Some aircraft carry
fuel in the fuselage; others carry the fuel in the wings.

As mentioned above, the aircraft configuration in the figure was chosen only as an example. Individual
aircraft may be configured quite differently from this airliner. The Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer had
pusher propellers and the elevators at the front of the aircraft. Fighter aircraft often have the jet
engines buried inside the fuselage instead of in pods hung beneath the wings. Many fighter aircraft
also combine the horizontal stabilizer and elevator into a single stabilator surface. There are many
possible aircraft configurations, but any configuration must provide for the four forces needed for
flight.

Airplanes are transportation devices which are designed to move people and cargo from one place to
another. Airplanes come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft.
The airplane shown on this slide is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a
representative aircraft.

The fuselage, or body of the airplane, is a long hollow tube which holds all the pieces of an airplane
together. The fuselage is hollow to reduce weight. As with most other parts of the airplane, the shape
of the fuselage is normally determined by the mission of the aircraft. A supersonic fighter plane has a
very slender, streamlined fuselage to reduce the drag associated with high speed flight. An airliner
has a wider fuselage to carry the maximum number of passengers. On an airliner, the pilots sit in a
cockpit at the front of the fuselage. Passengers and cargo are carried in the rear of the fuselage and
the fuel is usually stored in the wings. For a fighter plane, the cockpit is normally on top of the
fuselage, weapons are carried on the wings, and the engines and fuel are placed at the rear of the
fuselage.

The weight of an aircraft is distributed all along the aircraft. The fuselage, along with the passengers
and cargo, contribute a significant portion of the weight of an aircraft. The center of gravity of the
aircraft is the average location of the weight and it is usually located inside the fuselage. In flight, the
aircraft rotates around the center of gravity because of torques generated by the elevator, rudder, and
ailerons. The fuselage must be designed with enough strength to withstand these torques.

Airplanes are transportation devices which are designed to move people and cargo from one place to
another. Airplanes come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft.
The airplane shown on this slide is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a
representative aircraft.

The fuselage, or body of the airplane, is a long hollow tube which holds all the pieces of an airplane
together. The fuselage is hollow to reduce weight. As with most other parts of the airplane, the shape
of the fuselage is normally determined by the mission of the aircraft. A supersonic fighter plane has a
very slender, streamlined fuselage to reduce the drag associated with high speed flight. An airliner
has a wider fuselage to carry the maximum number of passengers. On an airliner, the pilots sit in a
cockpit at the front of the fuselage. Passengers and cargo are carried in the rear of the fuselage and
the fuel is usually stored in the wings. For a fighter plane, the cockpit is normally on top of the
fuselage, weapons are carried on the wings, and the engines and fuel are placed at the rear of the
fuselage.

The weight of an aircraft is distributed all along the aircraft. The fuselage, along with the passengers
and cargo, contribute a significant portion of the weight of an aircraft. The center of gravity of the
aircraft is the average location of the weight and it is usually located inside the fuselage. In flight, the
aircraft rotates around the center of gravity because of torques generated by the elevator, rudder, and
ailerons. The fuselage must be designed with enough strength to withstand these torques.
Airplanes are transportation devices which are designed to move people and cargo from one place to
another. Airplanes come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft.
The airplane shown on this slide is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a
representative aircraft.

The fuselage, or body of the airplane, is a long hollow tube which holds all the pieces of an airplane
together. The fuselage is hollow to reduce weight. As with most other parts of the airplane, the shape
of the fuselage is normally determined by the mission of the aircraft. A supersonic fighter plane has a
very slender, streamlined fuselage to reduce the drag associated with high speed flight. An airliner
has a wider fuselage to carry the maximum number of passengers. On an airliner, the pilots sit in a
cockpit at the front of the fuselage. Passengers and cargo are carried in the rear of the fuselage and
the fuel is usually stored in the wings. For a fighter plane, the cockpit is normally on top of the
fuselage, weapons are carried on the wings, and the engines and fuel are placed at the rear of the
fuselage.

The weight of an aircraft is distributed all along the aircraft. The fuselage, along with the passengers
and cargo, contribute a significant portion of the weight of an aircraft. The center of gravity of the
aircraft is the average location of the weight and it is usually located inside the fuselage. In flight, the
aircraft rotates around the center of gravity because of torques generated by the elevator, rudder, and
ailerons. The fuselage must be designed with enough strength to withstand these torques.
At the rear of the fuselage of most aircraft one finds a horizontal stabilizer and an elevator. The
stabilizer is a fixed wing section whose job is to provide stability for the aircraft, to keep it flying
straight. The horizontal stabilizer prevents up-and-down, or pitching, motion of the aircraft nose. The
elevator is the small moving section at the rear of the stabilizer that is attached to the fixed sections by
hinges. Because the elevator moves, it varies the amount of force generated by the tail surface and is
used to generate and control the pitching motion of the aircraft. There is an elevator attached to each
side of the fuselage. The elevators work in pairs; when the right elevator goes up, the left elevator
also goes up. This slide shows what happens when the pilot deflects the elevator.

The elevator is used to control the position of the nose of the aircraft and the angle of attack of the
wing. Changing the inclination of the wing to the local flight path changes the amount of lift which the
wing generates. This, in turn, causes the aircraft to climb or dive. During take off the elevators are
used to bring the nose of the aircraft up to begin the climb out. During a banked turn, elevator inputs
can increase the lift and cause a tighter turn. That is why elevator performance is so important for
fighter aircraft.

The elevators work by changing the effective shape of the airfoil of the horizontal stabilizer. As
described on the shape effects slide, changing the angle of deflection at the rear of an airfoil changes
the amount of lift generated by the foil. With greater downward deflection of the trailing edge, lift
increases. With greater upward deflection of the trailing edge, lift decreases and can even become
negative as shown on this slide. The lift force (F) is applied at center of pressure of the horizontal
stabilzer which is some distance (L) from the aircraft center of gravity. This creates a torque

T=F*L

on the aircraft and the aircraft rotates about its center of gravity. The pilot can use this ability to make
the airplane loop. Or, since many aircraft loop naturally, the deflection can be used to trim or balance
the aircraft, thus preventing a loop. If the pilot reverses the elevator deflection to down, the aircraft
pitches in the opposite direction.
 Aileron Roll Problems
If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

Open the slide called Aileron Roll (with text). Study the labeled diagram and read the explanation of
aileron roll.

After you have read the Web page about Aileron Roll, make a paper airplane. Click on How to make a
paper jet model (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/WindTunnel/Activities/foldairplane.html) for
directions or fold an airplane of your own design. Then:

1.  Cut 0.25 inch ( 6 mm) slits about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the end of each wing and then fold
these areas down. The tabs you have just made are called:___________________ 
2. Looking at your paper airplane from the front, fold the right tab down and the left tab up, so
that it resembles the diagram on the Aileron Roll Web page.What motion do you predict will
result when you fly your airplane? ___________________________________
3. Fly your paper airplane. Was the motion the same as your prediction in the question above? If
not, describe how it differed. ______________________
4. The paper airplane should have rolled counterclockwise around its center of gravity if viewed
from the front. Where is its center of gravity in terms of the length of the airplane?
___________________ 
5. Now bend the left tab flat and bend the right flap up. Predict the motion you will see when you
fly the paper airplane: ______________________
6. Fly the plane again. Was your prediction correct? If not, describe how it differed.
________________________
7. If the tab is bent down, is more lift or less lift generated by the wing? _________________
8. Bend the tabs on both wings up and fly your paper airplane. Explain what happened.
__________________________________________
9. In what situation would a pilot want to use the ailerons to roll the plane? ________________
10. Where are the ailerons located on a commercial jet? ________________
11. If the ailerons were used during landing to decrease lift, which way would they be deflected?
________________
12. Where is a spoiler located on a wing of an airliner? ________________
13. If a spoiler is deflected on the left wing of an airplane, which way would the airplane roll as
viewed from the front? ________________
14. If spoilers on both wings were deflected the same amount at the same time, how would the
plane's position change? ________________
15. Cut and attach small strips of paper to your paper airplane's wings with tape. Fly it. How did
your spoilers affect the flight?

Rudder -Yaw Problems

If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

Open the slide called Rudder - Yaw (with text). Study the labeled diagram and read the explanation
of rudder - yaw.

After you have read the Web page about Rudder -Yaw, make a styrofoam airplane. Click on McEagle
Styrofoam Glider (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/TRC/Aeronautics/GLIDER.html) for directions. 

1. Cut two 0.25 inch (6 mm) slits about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart from each other on the vertical
stabilizer of your styrofoam glider and then bend this area to the right and then left to crease
it. The tab you have just made is called the ______________.

2. Looking at your styrofoam glider from the front, fold the tab to the right, so that it resembles
the diagram on the Rudder - Yaw Web page.What motion do you predict will result when you
fly your airplane?

3. Fly your styrofoam glider. Was the motion the same as your prediction in the question above?
________ If not, describe how it differed.

4. The styrofoam glider should have yawed counterclockwise around its center of gravity if
viewed from the front. Where is its center of gravity in terms of the length of the airplane?
 5. Now bend the tab left. Predict the motion you will see when you fly the styrofoam glider:

6. Fly the styrofoam glider again. Was your prediction correct? ___________ If not, describe
how it differed.

7. When the tab is deflected to the left, where is more force generated?

8. When would a pilot use the rudder to cause an airplane to yaw?

9. Where is the rudder located on a commercial jet?

10. Which type of airplanes have more than one rudder?

11. What is the advantage to having more than one rudder?

Size Effects Problems

If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

Open the slide called Size Effects (with text). Study the labeled diagrams and read the explanation
of Size Effects.

1. What happens to lift when the surface area of an airplane's wings is increased?
2. Use this Web Page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747), or your favorite search
engine, to find information about the Boeing 747. What is its wing area?
3. Refer to the above question. What is the Boeing 747's takeoff weight?
4. How many passengers can the Boeing 747 carry?
5. What is the ratio of the Boeing 747's takeoff weight to its wing area?
6. Now use this Web Page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_777), or a search engine, to to
find information about the Boeing 777. What is its wing area?
7. What is the takeoff weight of the Boeing 777?
8. How many passengers can the Boeing 777 carry?
9. What is the ratio of the Boeing 777's takeoff weight to its wing area?
10. Again, use Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC-8), or a search engine to get
information about the DC-8 jetliner . What is its wing area?
11. What is the DC-8's takeoff weight?
12. How many passengers can the DC-8 carry?
13. What is the ratio of the DC-8's takeoff weight to its wing area?
14. Find the DC-10 on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC-10, or use a search engine .
What is its wing area?
15. What is the DC-10's takeoff weight?
16. How many passengers can the DC-10 carry?
17. What is the ratio of the DC-10's takeoff weight to its wing area?
18. If both the Boeing 777 and the DC-10 weighed 130,000 kg, which airplane's wings would
generate the most lift?
19. Which of the two planes in the previous question has a greater possible takeoff weight?
20. Which two of the four jet airplanes above have the closest takeoff weight to wing area
ratios?
21. Explain the relationships among lift, takeoff weight, and wing area. You may want to read
the slide called Forces on an Airplane.
 22. Do you see a relationship between wing span and passenger number?
23. Where are slats located and how do they affect an airplane's lift?
24. Where are the flaps located?

Using the picture above and a little imagination, answer the following questions. The motion of all
airplane parts is as if you were looking at the airplane from the front.

1. What are the names of the parts of the airplane pictured above?
1. A:_____________________________________________
2. B:_____________________________________________
3. C:_____________________________________________
4. D:_____________________________________________
5. E:_____________________________________________
6. F:_____________________________________________
7. G:_____________________________________________
8. H:_____________________________________________
9. I:_____________________________________________
10. J:_____________________________________________  
2. Describe the following aircraft motions.

1. Pitch: ____________________________________________
2. Roll: ____________________________________________
3. Yaw: ____________________________________________
4. Loop: ____________________________________________
5. Dive: ____________________________________________
6. Climb: ____________________________________________
7. Lift: ____________________________________________
B. What are the functions of the parts of the airplane pictured above?

1. A:_____________________________________________
2. B:_____________________________________________
 3. C:_____________________________________________
4. D:_____________________________________________
5. E:_____________________________________________
6. F:_____________________________________________
7. G:_____________________________________________
8. H:_____________________________________________
9. I:_____________________________________________
10. J:_____________________________________________
2. Which parts are used to control lift at low speed for takeoff and landing?
3. Which parts, installed one to each wing, operate in opposite directions (i.e., one up and one
down)?  
4. If the part in Problem 4 on the right wing is up and the one on the left wing is down, what will
the airplane do?
5. If the pilot lowers the elevator, what will the airplane's tail do?
6. What will this in turn cause the airplane's nose to do?
7. If the pilot moves the rudder to the left, what will the airplane's tail do?
8. What will this in turn cause the airplane's nose to do?  
9. What motion will occur in an airplane with the elevator deflected up and the rudder deflected
to the right?
10. What is a spoiler?