Glossary of Terms and Credits:

Parts of an Airplane

(credits at the bottom of the page.)

aileron - surfaces on the outer edge of a wing that move up and down 

cockpit - control center where pilot, instrumentation, and navigational aids used in flying are located 

elevator - surface on the horizontal part of the tail section that moves up or down to assist the aircraft in maintaining level flight and adjusting the pitch of the aircraft 

engine - part of the aircraft that provides the power for takeoff and landing and sustains flight

flap - retractable trailing edge of a wing that moves down to increase wing surface and increase lift on takeoff 

fuselage - body of an airplane, excluding the wing and tail section

propeller - twisted airfoil, or turning blade, powered by the engine and providing thrust

rudder - vertical part of the tail section that moves left or right to stabalize the aircraft during crosswind takeoff and landing or in severe wind conditions 

spinner - part of the shaft that covers the center of the propeller and helps smooth the airflow over the engine 

tail - section of the plane housing the elevator, stabalizer, fin, and rudder 

wing - an airplane's airfoil, producing lift as the craft moves through the air. It has two moveable controls: ailerons and flaps.

Pitch, Yaw, and Roll

An airplane in flight changes direction by movement of a system of flaps. The flaps deflect airflow and turn or tilt the airplane so that it rotates around the center of gravity, which lies between the wings. 

A pilot is capable of controlling flight direction by changing the pitch, roll, or yaw of an aircraft. Each action involves moving either the control column "stick" or the pedals, or both. 

Rolling - The pilot moves the stick to one side, which raises one aileron while lowering the other. One wing goes up and the other goes down, causing the aircraft to roll. 

Climbing/Diving (Pitch) - The pilot pulls the stick back or pushes the stick forward, which raises or lowers the elevators on the tail. The elevators deflect the airflow, causing the tail to drop or rise. The nose rises or drops and the aircraft climbs.

Turning (Yaw) - Pressing down on the pedals turns the rudder. Moving the stick from side to side raises or lowers the ailerons. The rudder turns the aircraft, and one aileron goes up while the other goes down, banking the aircraft as it turns. Note that this animation only shows the yaw movement and not the banking.

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Credits:

Responsible NASA Official: Dr. Thomas E. Pinelli

Page Curators: Shannon Ricles, Kevin Sparks Last Updated: June 10, 2003

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