PARTS OF AN AIRPLANE

Engineering Applications

General Aviation planes vary in size and shape but the basic parts remain the same.

Cirrus SR20 Piper Seneca

Eclipse 500Aviat Pitts S2C Gulfstream Business Jet

Cessna Caravan

Airplanes have wings that generate lift.

High-wing

Low-wing

The body of an airplane is called the fuselage.

Most General Aviation airplanes have one piston engine that drives a propeller.

The engine cowl covers the engine compartment.

Typical airplanes have three wheels as part of thelanding gear.

Above: Tricycle gear, like a bike, has a third wheel in the front.

Below: Taildraggers have their third wheel in the back.

Fuel tanks are usually located inside the wings.

Airplanes have windshields just like a car. Light airplanes don’t need wipers as the propeller blast clears rain away.

Pilots (and sometimes passengers) sit in the cockpit. Most light airplanes have two, four, or six seats.

Cockpit doors vary from model to model.

Canopy

Ailerons on the rear edge of the wings tilt the wings for a turn or “bank.”

Left turn

Left turn

Left turn

Right turn

The elevator (on the horizontal stabilizer) moves up (or down) to force the nose of the airplane up (or down.)

The rudder (on the vertical stabilizer) moves the airplane’s nose left or right, helping it turn.

Push left rudder pedal and the plane turns left

Push right rudder pedal and the plane turns right

Flaps on the wings change the shape of the wing to provide more lift and drag. This allows the airplane to fly slower.

Flaps down

To learn more: GO TO WWW.AOPA.ORG/PATH

12/2005

The basic parts of a airplane.

The Main Parts of an Airplane1. Propeller2. Landing Gear3. Right Wing Strut4. Wing5. Right Wing Aileron6. Right Wing Flap7. Fuselage8. Horizontal Stabilizer9. Vertical Stabilizer10. Rudder11. Elevator12. Left Wing Flap13. Left Wing Aileron14. Door15. Fuel Tanks16. Windshield17. Engine Cowl