Spring 2010

AE172: Introduction to Aircraft

Performance
Elements of an Aircraft
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ali Türker Kutay
Middle East Technical University
Department of Aerospace Engineering
 Flight Mechanics
 Control motion of an aircraft in 3D space
Position (3 translational states)
} 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DOF)


 Orientation (3 rotational states)

y Yaw

Pitch

x
Roll

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

 Elements of an Aircraft

Fuselage: or body of the airplane, is a long hollow tube which holds all the pieces of
an airplane together.

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Fuselage

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Fuselage (cont’d)

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

 Elements of an Aircraft

Cockpit: is a compartment in which

the pilot of an airplane sits.

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Cockpit

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

 Elements of an Aircraft
Pylon
Nacelle

Jet engine

Jet Engine: Develops thrust by ejecting a jet, especially a jet of

gaseous combustion products.
Nacelle: A separate streamlined enclosure on an aircraft housing
an engine.
Pylon: An assembly attached to an airplane, usually under the
wing, to hold an engine, fuel tank, weapon, etc.
Dr. Ali Türker Kutay
 Elements of an Aircraft

Wings

Wing: is a surface used to produce lift for flight through the air.

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

 Wing
Wing area (S) b2
Aspect Ratio  AR 
Leading
A
edge ct
ct
Taper Ratio 
cr cr
cr

ct
ct

cr
c
Trailing edge

wingspan
b
Dr. Ali Türker Kutay
Wing

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Elements of an Aircraft
Rudder

Vertical stabilizer

Vertical stabilizer: is a fixed wing

section whose job is to provide
stability for the aircraft, to keep it
flying straight. The vertical stabilizer
prevents side-to-side, or yawing,
motion of the aircraft nose.
Rudder: is the small moving section
at the rear of the stabilizer that is
attached to the fixed sections by
hinges. Because the rudder moves, it
varies the amount of force generated
by the tail surface and is used to
generate and control the yawing
motion of the aircraft.

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Vertical Stabilizer

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Rudder

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Rudder Control

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Elements of an Aircraft
Horizontal 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.
Elevator: is the small moving section
at the rear of the stabilizer that is
attached to the fixed sections by
hinges. It 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.

Horizontal stabilizer
Elevator
Dr. Ali Türker Kutay
 Horizontal Stabilizer

Canard: short winglike control surface

projecting from the fuselage of an
aircraft, such as a space shuttle,
mounted forward of the main wing and
serving as a horizontal stabilizer.

Dr. Ali Türker Kutay

Elevator

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Aileron

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