Parts of Airplanes

Used in 6th grade aviation class

1. PARTS OF AN AIRPLANE
Engineering Applications

2. General Aviation planes vary in size and shape
but the basic parts remain the same.
Cirrus SR20 Piper Seneca
Eclipse 500Aviat Pitts S2C Gulfstream Business Jet
Cessna Caravan

3. Airplanes have wings that generate lift.
High-wing
Low-wing

4. The body of an airplane is called the fuselage.

5. Most General Aviation airplanes have one piston engine
that drives a propeller.

6. The engine cowl covers the engine compartment.

7. Typical airplanes have three wheels as part of the
landing gear.
Above: Tricycle gear, like
a bike, has a third wheel
in the front.
Below: Taildraggers have their
third wheel in the back.

8. Fuel tanks are usually located inside the wings.

9. Airplanes have windshields just like a car. Light airplanes
don’t need wipers as the propeller blast clears rain away.

10. Pilots (and sometimes passengers) sit in the cockpit.
Most light airplanes have two, four, or six seats.

11. Cockpit doors vary from model to model.
Canopy

12. Ailerons on the rear edge of the wings tilt the wings
for a turn or “bank.”
Left turn
Left turn
Left turn
Right turn

13. The elevator (on the horizontal stabilizer) moves up
(or down) to force the nose of the airplane up (or down.)

14. The rudder (on the vertical stabilizer) moves the airplane’s
nose left or right, helping it turn.
Push left rudder pedal and the
plane turns left
Push right rudder pedal and the
plane turns right

15. Flaps on the wings change the shape of the wing to provide
more lift and drag. This allows the airplane to fly slower.
Flaps down

16. To learn more:
GO TO WWW.AOPA.ORG/PATH
12/2005

17. The basic parts of a airplane.
The Main Parts of an Airplane
1. Propeller
2. Landing Gear
3. Right Wing Strut
4. Wing
5. Right Wing Aileron
6. Right Wing Flap
7. Fuselage
8. Horizontal Stabilizer
9. Vertical Stabilizer
10. Rudder
11. Elevator
12. Left Wing Flap
13. Left Wing Aileron
14. Door
15. Fuel Tanks
16. Windshield
17. Engine Cowl