Aviation Technical English for aircraft maintenance engineers (Авиационный технический английский язык для студентов-авитехников)

63 MAJOR COMPONENTS OFAIRCRAFT Major Components Although airplanes are designed for a variety of purposes, most of them have the same major components. Most airplane structures include a fuselage, wings, an empennage, landing gear, and a powerplant. Fuselage The fuselage is the central body of an airplane and is designed to accommodate the crew, passengers, and cargo. It also provides the structural connection for the wings and tail assembly. The most popular types of fuselage structures used in today’s aircraft are the monocoque (French for “single shell”) and semi-monocoque. Wings The wings are airfoils attached to each side of the fuselage and are the main lifting surfaces that support the airplane in flight. There are numerous wing designs, sizes, and shapes used by the various manufacturers. Each fulfills a certain need with respect to the expected performance for the particular airplane. The number of wings can vary. Airplanes with a single set of wings are referred to as monoplanes, while those with two sets are called biplanes. The principal structural parts of the wing are spars, ribs, and stringers. In most modern airplanes, the fuel tanks either are an integral part of the wing’s structure, or consist of flexible containers mounted inside of the wing. Attached to the rear or trailing edges of the wings are two types of control surfaces referred to as ailerons and flaps. Ailerons extend from about the midpoint of each wing outward toward the tip, and move in opposite directions to create aerodynamic forces that cause the airplane to roll. Flaps extend outward from the fuselage to near the midpoint of each wing. The flaps are normally flush with the wing’s surface during cruising flight. When extended, the flaps move simultaneously downward to increase the lifting force of the wing for takeoffs and landings.