From the cockpit to the tail, this presentation covers the basics of the parts of the airplane.

1. Aircraft Control Surfaces and
Components
© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Aerospace Engineering

2. Aircraft Components and Control
• Aircraft range from simple home-built
machines to complex fighter jets
• All aircraft have common structural and
control components that allow for
controlled flight

3. Aircraft Components
Five typical components
Empennage
Fuselage
Wing
Landing
Gear
Power Plant

4. Empennage and Wing Components
Elevator

5. Empennage and Wing Components
Elevator
Rudder
Vertical Stabilizer
Horizontal Stabilizer
Flaps
Ailerons
Horizontal Stabilizer
Elevator

6. Empennage
Rudder
Vertical Stabilizer
Horizontal Stabilizer
Trim Tab
Elevator Trim Tab

7. Aircraft Components

8. Aircraft Components
Empennage
Fuselage
Aileron
Elevator
Rudder
Vertical Stabilizer
Horizontal Stabilizer
Wing
Flaps
Power Plant
Cockpit

9. Aircraft Components
Empennage
Fuselage
Elevator
and
Horizontal
Stabilizer
Rudder and
Vertical Stabilizer
Wing
Power Plant
Cockpit
Ailerons
Flaps

10. Fuselage

11. Wing
Wing Strut
Ribs Spar

12. Winglet

13. Center of Gravity
Center of Gravity (CG) is point where
weight of object is balanced
Centroid located on
the line of symmetry
Centroid of object with multiple lines of symmetry
is located at intersection of lines of symmetry

14. Stability
• Aircraft with positive stability returns to
steady flight after disturbance

15. Stability
• Aircraft with positive stability returns to
steady flight after disturbance
• Maneuverability is an indication of an
aircraft’s ability to handle the stress of
maneuvers
• Controllability is an indication of an
aircraft’s ability to react to pilot inputs

16. Aircraft Attitude
• Aircraft have three axes of flight which
intersect at the center of gravity
Longitudinal
Axis
Lateral
Axis
Vertical
Axis

17. Aircraft Attitude
• Aircraft have three axes of flight which
intersect at the center of gravity
• Aircraft must be stable around these three
axes for controlled flight
Center of
Pressure
Center of
Gravity

18. Aircraft Attitude
• Aircraft have three axes of flight which
intersect at the center of gravity
• Aircraft must be stable around these three
axes for controlled flight
• Aircraft must be controlled to rotate around
these three axes to change direction
Center of
Pressure
Center of
Gravity

19. Longitudinal
Axis
Lateral
Axis
Vertical
Axis
Aircraft Stability and Movement
Around Three Axes of Flight
Roll
Pitch
Yaw

20. Aircraft Roll Stability and Control
To turn left, the
aircraft must roll left.
Right wing must raise
and left wing must
descend.
Right aileron is
lowered and left
aileron is raised.
Longitudinal
Axis

21. Aircraft Roll Stability and Control
To turn left, the
aircraft must roll left.
Right wing must raise
and left wing must
descend.
Right aileron is
lowered and left
aileron is raised.
Longitudinal
Axis

22. Flight Controls that Cause Ailerons
and Flaps to Move
Yoke rotated
left
Left aileron raises
Right aileron lowers
Left and right
flaps lower
Flaps lever lowered

23. Aircraft Pitch Stability and Control
Lateral
Axis
Pitch Down
Push the yoke
forward
To descend, the pilot
reduces power and lowers
the elevator to pitch down
Lower the elevator

24. Aircraft Yaw Stability and Control
Vertical
Axis
Yaw Left
Push left pedal
away from you.
To yaw the aircraft
nose left, the
rudder must
deflect left.

25. Aircraft Motion and Control
Axis Motion Stabilized by Control Pilot Control
Longitudinal Roll Wings Aileron Yoke twist left
or right
Lateral Pitch Horizontal
stabilizer
Elevator Yoke forward
or aft
Vertical Yaw Vertical
stabilizer
Rudder Rudder pedals
Longitudinal
Axis
Lateral
Axis
Vertical
Axis
Roll Pitch
Yaw

26. Why Do Airplane Designs Differ?
The differences more than aesthetic
Consider how a design affects lift
and drag and other characteristics

27. Wing Vertical Location
High Wing
Mid Wing
Low Wing
How will the wing location affect aircraft performance?

28. • High wing generates the most lift of the three wing locations
because airflow is continuous with minimal interruption
• Improved pilot downward visibility without wing obstruction
• Center of gravity is high
• Pusher engine avoids introducing turbulence over wing
High Wing

29. Mid Wing
• Mid wing generates the least lift of the three wing locations

30. Low Wing
• Low wing generates lift as a median of three wing locations
because airflow is almost continuous with some interruption
• Increased ground effect increases lift during takeoff and
landing because the wing airflow acts against the ground
• Limited pilot downward visibility because of wing obstruction

31. Wing Configuration
Biplane
Canard Wings
How will the wing configuration affect aircraft performance?

32. Multiple Wings – Biplane
• Increased wing area generates more lift
• Increased wing area generates more drag

33. Canard Wings
• Canard wings provides major wing surface area well
forward of the center of gravity
• Center of gravity being farther rearward improves pitch
control

34. Vertical Stabilizer
Twin vertical stabilizers
Triple vertical stabilizers
How will the vertical stabilizer affect aircraft performance?
V-Tail

35. Twin Vertical Stabilizers
• Two vertical stabilizers improve yaw control

36. Triple Vertical Stabilizers
• Three vertical stabilizers improve yaw control
• Could be needed to compensate for the limitation of other
features

37. V-Tail
• Early versions of the design made it difficult for a pilot to
control yaw
• Note the relative percentage of wing that is flap versus
aileron.

38. Power Plant
Tractor power plant
Pusher power plant
How will the power plant affect aircraft performance?
Variable direction power plant

39. Tractor Power Plant
Engine Propeller

40. Pusher Power Plant
Engine Propeller

41. Variable Direction Power Plant
Exhaust smoke from
vertical thrust

42. Landing Gear
Oleo Strut
Floats
How will the landing gear affect aircraft performance?
Tail dragger
Tricycle

43. Landing Gear – Oleo Strut
Brakes
Tire
Rim
Oleo strut
Axle

44. Landing Gear – Floats

45. Conventional Gear vs. Tail-Dragger
Main Gear
(2 wheels)
Tail Wheel

46. Tricycle Gear
Main Gear
(2 wheels)
Nose Wheel

47. Rough field
How will the landing gear affect aircraft performance?
Specialized Landing Gear
Soft field

48. Rough Field Landing Gear
• Rough field landing gear has smaller wheels to allow large
shock absorbers
• Large shock absorbers
• Absorb impact of a rough terrain
• Propeller is above tall grass

49. Soft Field Landing Gear
• Soft field landing gear has large wheels to minimize sinking
into terrain

50. Fuselage size
How will the aircraft size affect aircraft performance?
Aircraft Size and Shape
Engine size
Specialized configuration

51. Aircraft Size
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

52. Aircraft Size

53. Aircraft Size
Boeing 777 Engine Intake

54. Specialty Aircraft

55. Simple instrument panel
How will the instrument panel affect aircraft performance?
Instrument Panel
General aviation instrument panel
General aviation instrument panel

56. References
Jeppesen (2007). Private pilot: Guided flight discovery.
Englewood, CO: Jeppesen.
Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. (2006). Guided flight discovery
private pilot images [CD-ROM]. Englewood, CO:
Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2009).
Airplane parts definitions. Retrieved from
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-
12/airplane/airplane.html
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2009).
Wilber and Or. Retrieved from
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/IMAGES/SMALL/GPN-2002-
000126.jpg

57. References
Chapple G. (Photographer). (2012). Shuttle 1. [Photo].
Lockheed Martin (2010). C-5M first flight-3a. Retrieved
from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/357061040
6/in/set-72157618866063402
Lockheed Martin (2010). F-35 Lightning II. Retrieved from
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/f35/
Lockheed Martin (2010). Lockheed Martin C-130 in flight.
Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/976461432/
Meyer, A. (2010). X-Plane (Version 9.21rc2) [Computer
software]. Columbia, SC: Laminar Research.

58. References
Senson, Ben. (2010). Madison Memorial High School,
Wisconsin.