Primary structure
The fuselage carries payload and ties the aircraft together. The wings generate lift and usually hold fuel. The empennage — horizontal and vertical stabilisers — provides pitch and yaw stability, much like the feathers on an arrow.
Moving surfaces
Ailerons on the outer wing control roll. Elevators on the horizontal stabiliser control pitch. The rudder controls yaw. Flaps and slats extend to increase lift at low speed, while spoilers dump lift and add drag after touchdown.
Systems you can see
Engines or propellers provide thrust. The landing gear supports the aircraft on the ground and retracts to reduce drag. Static ports and pitot tubes on the fuselage feed the air data instruments.
Key points
- Ailerons roll, elevators pitch, rudder yaws.
- Flaps and slats are high-lift devices for slow flight; spoilers destroy lift.
- Pitot and static sources feed airspeed, altitude and vertical speed.
Knowledge check