AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES Rudder
Located at the trailing edge of the fin (vertical stabilizer). Assists in turning to the left or right.
Elevators
Located at the trailing edge of the tailplane (horizontal stabilizer). Assists in climbing and descending.
Ailerons Located at the trailing edge of the wing, they assist in turning i.e. wing up/down. The inboard aileron is located about half way along the trailing edge of the wing. It is used in-flight to assist with turning.
Flaps + Slats
Located at both the leading (slats) and trailing (flaps) edges of the wings. They are partially deployed for take-off to increase the curve of the wing and thereby provide more lift at slower speeds. They are fully deployed for landing to increase the curve of the wing, which greatly increases the lift and the drag, thus allowing the aircraft to land at low speeds. All flaps are retracted during high speed flight.
Spoilers
Located on the upper surface of the wings. They destroy lift and induce drag on the wings, thus slowing down the aircraft in-flight. They are also used after landing to increase the rate at which the aircraft slows down. As they kill lift they help to keep the aircraft on the ground.
Engines
All aircraft engines produce power by displacing air towards the rear of the aircraft, which is “thrust”. There are three basic types of engines: Piston engines which drive propellers to produce thrust; Usually in smaller aircraft up to around 20 seats. Turbo-prop engines are jet engines which turn propellers to produce thrust; Usually on aircraft from around 10 seats up to 80 seats. Jet engines produce thrust inside the engines by forcing large masses of air backwards. Jets are fitted all sizes of aircraft from executive jets to A380 airliners. Engines are always numbered left to right.
Auxiliary Power Unit
The Auxiliary Power unit (usually known as the APU) is a small gas turbine engine that is usually mounted in the tail area of the aircraft. The APU drives a generator that provides electrical power either on a standby basis for main electrical power sources, or on the ground when a supply is not available. The APU can provide an air supply for cabin air conditioning.
Landing Gear
The landing gear (also called the ‘undercarriage’) usually consists of a tricycle of wheels; the main gear under wing, with the nose gear at the front of the fuselage. The landing gear retracts into the aircraft fuselage to present a ‘clean’ aircraft, reducing drag in flight. Some aircraft have more than two main gear units.
3 Aviation Basics
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