Operation of Systems
Airplanes are made up of thousands of parts, from the simplest pieces of wood and fabric to newly designed composite airframes to the most sophisticated of electrical components. Planes come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share the same basic design components.
The basic components of any airplane are the fuselage, the wings, the empennage, the landing gear, and the power plant. The fuselage houses the cabin and cockpit to hold the pilots, passengers and cargo. The fuselage is considered to be the central component of the airplane since all the other components are attached to it.
The wings of an aircraft generate lift as air flows around them. The wings are shaped to maximize the amount of lift they produce. The wings can be attached at the top, midway, or at the bottom of the fuselage. Most planes have a single set of wings referred to as a monoplane, but some planes have two or three sets of wings referred to as biplanes and tripplanees respectively.
The empennage consists of two important surfaces, the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. These stabilizers are surfaces on the tail that help keep the airplane under control while flying through the air. Beneath the fuselage sits the landing gear, also known as the undercarriage. This structure is used to support the aircraft while on the ground. There are generally two different types of configurations, tricycle and conventional gear.
Tricycle gear has one lead wheel near the plane's nose and two main wheels behind it, typically under the wings.
Finally, there is the power plant, which in layman's terms is the engine.
Airplanes can have one engine called a single engine airplane or have multiple engines called multi-engine airplanes. In most smaller general aviation aircraft, reciprocating engines are used like the ones found in cars. In many ways, however, airplane engines are simpler than car engines. The most basic of reciprocating engines on airplanes are not computer controlled, are not liquid cooled, and are not even fuel injected.
With reciprocating engines also comes the requirement of a propeller. Just as they are different engine configurations, there are also different types of propellers. These propellers can range from the simplest two-bladed propeller made of a solid piece of wood to a complicated multi-bladed propeller with additional built-in features. These features can include the ability to shed off ice or even to change the blade angle during flight.
The basic components of any airplane are the fuselage, the wings, the empennage, the landing gear, and the power plant. The fuselage houses the cabin and cockpit to hold the pilots, passengers and cargo. The fuselage is considered to be the central component of the airplane since all the other components are attached to it.
The wings of an aircraft generate lift as air flows around them. The wings are shaped to maximize the amount of lift they produce. The wings can be attached at the top, midway, or at the bottom of the fuselage. Most planes have a single set of wings referred to as a monoplane, but some planes have two or three sets of wings referred to as biplanes and tripplanees respectively.
The empennage consists of two important surfaces, the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. These stabilizers are surfaces on the tail that help keep the airplane under control while flying through the air. Beneath the fuselage sits the landing gear, also known as the undercarriage. This structure is used to support the aircraft while on the ground. There are generally two different types of configurations, tricycle and conventional gear.
Tricycle gear has one lead wheel near the plane's nose and two main wheels behind it, typically under the wings.
Finally, there is the power plant, which in layman's terms is the engine.
Airplanes can have one engine called a single engine airplane or have multiple engines called multi-engine airplanes. In most smaller general aviation aircraft, reciprocating engines are used like the ones found in cars. In many ways, however, airplane engines are simpler than car engines. The most basic of reciprocating engines on airplanes are not computer controlled, are not liquid cooled, and are not even fuel injected.
With reciprocating engines also comes the requirement of a propeller. Just as they are different engine configurations, there are also different types of propellers. These propellers can range from the simplest two-bladed propeller made of a solid piece of wood to a complicated multi-bladed propeller with additional built-in features. These features can include the ability to shed off ice or even to change the blade angle during flight.