Aircrafts and aerodynamics

Airplane Parts

The main parts of an aircraft are:

• the fuselage;
• the wings;
• the tail section (empennage);
• the engine(s);
• the landing gear.

The fuselage is the main body of the aircraft, holding the crew, passengers, as well as cargo.

The wings are the main source of lift on an airplane. They work through forcing pressure from the air onto its bottom half, thus lifting the plane up.

The tail section (or empennage) is the structure at the rear of the aircraft that helps stabilize the plane during flight, similar to feathers on an arrow.

The engine is located in the front or on the wings of an aircraft. It creates mechanical energy through the use of aviation fuel.

The landing gear is the undercarriage of the aircraft and is used for taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Attached to it are wheels that allows it to maneuver when making contact with the ground.

The control surfaces include:

• the ailerons;
• the elevators and stabilators;
• the rudder; and
• the trim systems.

Aircraft Forces

Four Forces on an Airplane

The four forces which act upon an aircraft in flight are:

1. Lift
2. Drag
3. Thrust
4. Weight

Lift acts upwards at right angles to the airflow through the center of pressure. In simple terms, Lift is perpendicular to the Relative Wind.

Drag is the resistance opposing the forward motion of the aircraft. It acts parallel and in the reverse direction of the aircraft's movement. Drag opposes thrust.

Thrust is the forward propulsive force provided by the engines.

Weight is the force acting vertically downward due to gravity. Weight opposes lift.

Resources

NASA's Beginners Guide to Aerodynamics - Supplement your of study aerodynamics at your own pace and to your own level of interest. Some of the topics included are: Newton's basic equations of motion; the motion of a free falling object, that neglects the effects of aerodynamics; the terminal velocity of a falling object subject to both weight and air resistance; the three forces (lift, drag, and weight) that act on a glider; and finally, the four forces that act on a powered airplane. There are many interactive pages designed to illustrate aerodynamics.

Aerodynamics Lesson - Gold Seal Master CFI trainer Robert Still video presents basics of Aerodynamics in an easy to understand format.

See How It Flies - Free online book (in HTML format) running through aerodynamics and techniques for flight.

Wikipedia Aircraft - A definition of Aircraft and examples of various types of aircraft.

Wikipedia Aerodynamics - Technical overview of aerodynamics and the physics of flight.

FAA Aircraft - FAA information on Registration and Certification of Aircraft, Advisories and Guidance, Regulations and Policy, Forms, and Technical Information. Includes a searchable database of aircraft registered in the US.