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TOPIC 1
BASIC AIRPLANE
NOMENCLATURE
1.1
Introduction
An aircraft is a device that is used for, or is intended to be used for flight in the air. Major
categories of aircraft are airplane, rotorcraft, glider, and lighter-than-air vehicles such as airship
and balloons. (Refer figure 1)
Fuselage
The fuselage is the main structure or body of the aeroplane, to which the wings, tail, engine and
landing gear are attached. It is also designed to accommodate the space for the flight crew,
passengers, cargo and other equipment. Because of the tremendous loads that are imposed
upon the fuselage structure, it must have maximum strength and, as with all of the parts of an
aircraft, it must also have minimum weight.
There are 2 types of construction used in modern aircraft fuselages: the truss and the stressed-skin type.
1.2.1
Wing
The wings of an aircraft have a special aerodynamically efficient shape called an airfoil section
that allows them to force down the maximum amount of air as they move through it. The wing
provides for lift generation and control (aileron) as well as for fuel storage and possibly for the
accommodation of engine(s) and landing gear. The wings are designated left and right
corresponding to left and right side of the pilot when seated in the flight deck or cockpit. The
particular wing design for any given aircraft depends on a number of factors, such as size,
weight, use of the aircraft desired speed in flight and at landing, and desired rate of climb.
1.3.1
1.3.2
Wing Configuration
Airplanes with a single set of wings are referred to as monoplanes while those with two sets are
called biplanes. (See figure 8)
MONOPLANE
BIPLANE
Figure 8: Wing Configuration
The monoplanes are further divided In 3 categories in relation to the rooting or attachment of
the wings to the fuselage.
Low wing configuration. The wing is rooted at the bottom part of the aircraft fuselage,
usually just below the pilots seat in GA aircraft. Good for touring and passenger aircraft, low
drag, easier to land due to higher ground effect but need fuel pumps. (See figure 9)
7
Empennage
The empennage is also known as the tail section and consists of the rear fuselage section, the vertical
and horizontal stabilizers and movable control surfaces. The empennage with vertical tail surfaces is
joined to the rest of the fuselage in the main assembly jig. The stabilizers help to stabilize the aircraft
and the moveable control surface help to direct an aircraft during flight. The movable control surfaces
are usually a rudder located at the aft edge of the vertical stabilizer and an elevator located at the aft
edge the horizontal stabilizer. (See figure 12)