PARTS OF AN AEROPLANE
Let’s start with the basics. The main part of an aeroplane is the body, properly called the fuselage. It holds the crew, passengers and cargo, as well as the engine in most light aircraft, and holds all the other external parts together. It should be streamlined, to reduce air resistance and lightweight.
In terms of making flight happen, the most important part of the plane is the wing or wings. Wings are designed in such a way that air travels faster along the curved upper surface than the flat lower, because it has further to go. This means that there is less air at any one time above the wings, and the higher pressure air below pushes the wing upwards, generating what is known as lift.
Propulsion is the driving force acting on the plane. This comes from a propeller in light aircraft and jet engines in larger planes. It’s essential for getting air to move over the wings in the first place, so that they can generate lift.
Like the rudder of a plane, the tail is crucial in controlling the direction of the plane. It has something that looks like a small vertical wing which moves side to side, bringing about an equivalent response in the plane’s trajectory.
Inside the fuselage, in the cockpit or cabin, are found the controls and flight instruments. These are used to measure and change the aeroplane’s speed, bearing (direction of travel) altitude and more.
These parts come in different shapes and sizes according to the model. There are plenty of opportunities to get to know aircraft of different kinds and enjoy aircraft flights in Oxford.
TAKING TO THE SKIES
In order to take off, an aeroplane has to overcome the force of gravity. What’s the force that acts in the opposite direction to gravity? Lift. All that needs to happen is for the lift to become stronger than the force of gravity.
To achieve this, the aircraft needs to accelerate along the ground (when an aircraft “drives” using its wheels, it is “taxiing”) to force air over the wings. We already know that air travelling over the wings creates lift, so when this upward force overcomes the downward pull of gravity, the plane gains altitude and takes off.
The need to build up speed on the ground explains the need for runways. An aircraft like a helicopter can generate lift while static because it moves its “wings” - the rotor - independently of the fuselage.
AERIAL MANOEUVRES
As a car can move either forward or back, and either left or right, a plane can move in three dimensions: forward or back, left or right, up or down. There is an axis that describes movement in each of these directions.
Imagine a model aeroplane with a rod that runs from the nose to the tail and extends a short distance outside the plane. Holding onto this rod, you can move the plane so that it moves wing over wing, clockwise or anticlockwise. This is the roll axis.
A rod that passes from wingtip to wingtip, when turned, will move the nose of the plane up and down relative to the tail. This is the pitch axis. The final axis is yaw. It describes the movement around an invisible line running vertically through the fuselage of the aircraft, shifting the nose (and the rest of the plane behind it) to the left and right.
Any manoeuvre that a plane executes in flight will involve movement in one or more of these axes. With the exceptions of a loop-the-loop (all about pitch) and a barrel roll (100% roll) it’s almost always two or three.
If you want to get an idea of the limits of what aeroplanes can do, try an aerobatic flight experience. A professional pilot will take you for a ride, swooping, whooshing and soaring in all directions. There are flight experiences in the West Midlands which have an aerobatic focus.
RETURNING TO EARTH
Landing an aeroplane is essentially taking off in reverse. The pilot has to change the speed of the plane so there is less air travelling over the wings and less lift is generated. As gravity gains the upper hand once again, the plane begins to lose altitude, approaching the earth.
The challenge is to make the plane descend at a safe rate - too fast and the plane hits the ground too hard, resulting in disaster. Speed is lost by reducing the power input and using airbraking, usually carried out by raiding flaps on the trailing edge of the wings.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to pilot a plane, we have good news for you. Trial flights are offered by flying schools around the country. The flight experiences in Kent include numerous options for trial flights, in which you’ll be able to take control of the plane and feel the thrill of aviation first hand.
