CABIN CREW | Aircraft Types | Airplane Parts and Function | Landing Gear Types | Types of

Landing Gear Arrangement | 5 Main Components of an Aircraft

Aircraft Types
There are many types of aircraft of various sizes and capabilities. In general, aircraft can be placed into
the following three categories:
1. Commercial transport aircrafts are owned by airlines and used for transporting passengers and
cargo. As cabin crew, you will be flying in commercial transport aircrafts.
2. General aviation aircrafts are smaller than most commercial aircrafts and are certified for and
intended for noncommercial or private use.
3. Military aircrafts are used for a country's armed forces.

5 Main Components of an Aircraft

1. Fuselage
The fuselage is one of the major aircraft components with its long hollow tube that’s also known
as the body of the airplane, which holds the passengers along with cargo. This area includes the
cockpit, so the pilots are in the front of the fuselage. Despite there being different types of
fuselages, they all connect the major parts of an airplane together.

2. Wings
Not surprisingly, the wings, also commonly known as foils, are aircraft parts that are imperative for
flight. The airflow over the wings is what generates most of the lifting force necessary for flight.
Along with the large wings that stem from the middle of the fuselage, the wings also include two
smaller ones at the back of most aircraft, at the tail.

3. Tail (Empennage)
The empennage is the tail end of the aircraft. It helps with the stability of the plane and has two
main components called the rudder and the elevator. The rudder helps the aircraft steer from right
to left, and the elevator helps with the up and down movement.

4. Engine (Power Plant)

The power plant of an airplane structure includes the engine and the propeller. The engine itself is
a complicated system comprised of many smaller parts like cylinders, fans, and pistons. Together,
these aircraft engine parts work to generate the power or thrust of an aircraft.

5. Landing Gear (Undercarriage)

You cannot have a safe plane without having the landing gear. Not only are these parts
imperative in order to land, but the landing gear is also used to help an aircraft take-off and taxi.
The landing gear includes shock absorbers for a smooth landing and takeoff as well as the
wheels on the plane.

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Landing Gear Types

The type of gear depends on the aircraft design and its intended use. Most landing gear have wheels to
facilitate operation to and from hard surfaces, such as airport runways. Other gear feature skids for this
purpose, such as those found on helicopters, balloon gondolas, and in the tail area of some tail dragger
aircraft. Aircraft that operate to and from frozen lakes and snowy areas may be equipped with landing
gear that have skis. Aircraft that operate to and from the surface of water have float or pontoon-type
landing gear.

Types of Landing Gear Arrangement

Landing gear usually comes in three basic wheel arrangements: conventional, tandem and tricycle-type.
Beyond this, landing gear is then classified as either fixed or retractable. Fixed landing gear hangs
underneath an aircraft during flight, whereas retractable landing gear is stowed inside an aircraft during
flight.
1. CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR
2. TANDEM LANDING GEAR
3. TRICYCLE-TYPE LANDING GEAR
Arguably the most common type of landing gear, tricycle-type gear includes the main gear and
the nose gear. It's typically used on both large and light aircraft. With this design, the two main
wheels are attached to the airframe behind the center of gravity. This supports most of the
structure's weight, while a nose wheel usually provides steering control. There are quite a few
benefits to tricycle-type landing gear. It provides better visibility from the flight deck, allows for
more forceful application of the brakes and prevents ground-looping of the aircraft, keeping the
airplane moving forward in a straight line.

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Airplane Parts and Function

1. Wing Generate lift to hold airplane in air.

2. Winglet To reduce drag.
3. Jet Engine Generate thrust to overcome the drag and to move in forward direction.
4. Cockpit Pilot sit here to control and command the plane.
5. Fuselage (Body) Holds all parts together.
6. Slats To increase airplane lift during takeoff and landing.
7. Spoiler To reduce plane speed.
8. Aileron Roll the wings side ward direction.
9. Flaps Increase lift and drag of airplane during takeoff and landing.
10. Elevator Deflect the tail of the airplane up and down motion.
11. Rudder Deflect the tail direction to the left and right side.
12. Vertical Stabilizer To maintain the balance of the airplane from swinging side ward directions.
13. Horizontal Stabilizer To maintain the balance of the airplane from moving up-and-down.

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International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized and funding

agency of the United Nations. It changes the principles and techniques of international
air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to
ensure safe and orderly growth.

Abbreviation ICAO

Formation 4 April 1947

Type UN specialized agency

Headquarters Montreal, Canada

Members 193 states

Website www.icao.int

ICAO's objectives are to:

• Set standards and rules for training and certification of aviation personnel.
• Set standards for communication systems and procedures.
• Set standard requirements for airworthiness aircraft.

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The Forces of Flight

Every aircraft, whether an airplane, helicopter or rocket, is affected by four opposing forces:
Thrust, Lift, Drag and Weight.
1. Thrust
Thrust is produced by an aircraft’s propulsion system or engine. The direction of the thrust
dictates the direction in which the aircraft will move. For example, the engines on an airliner point
backwards, which means that generally speaking, the airplane’s thrust vector will point forwards.
2. Lift
Lift is generated by the motion of air passing over the aircraft’s wings.
3. Drag
Drag is simply resistance of the aircraft against the air. There are many types of drag, but each is
a force opposing thrust.
4. Weight
Weight is a force that is always directed toward the center of the earth due to gravity. The
magnitude of the weight is the sum of all the airplane parts, plus the fuel, people and cargo. While
the weight is distributed throughout the entire airplane, its effect is on a single point called the
center of gravity.

3 Axes of Movement
CONTROL SURFACE MOVEMENT AXIS

PITCH Elevator Nose Up/Down Lateral

ROLL Aileron Wings Up/Down Longitudinal

YAW Rudder Nose Left/Right Vertical

1. What is pitch?
Pitch is a rotation around the lateral axis of the aircraft. An aircraft pitches its nose up and down
to climb and descend.
2. What is roll?
Roll is a rotation around the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. An aircraft rolls its wings side-to-side
to make turns.
3. What is yaw?
Yaw is a rotation around the vertical axis of the aircraft. An aircraft yaws its nose left and right to
maintain coordinated flight.

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Glossary

Adverse yaw:
The drag caused by the lowered aileron during a turn, causing the nose of the airplane to point away, or
outwards, from the direction of the turn

Aileron:
The part of the airplane, located at the rear of the wing, that increases the lift on one wing while reducing
the lift on the other in order to roll the aircraft sideways and allow it to turn

Axis:
An imaginary line around which an airplane can turn

Body-Axis System:
A system whereby the forces acting upon an aircraft are measured from the center of gravity, used when
defining the pitch, roll and yaw axes

Center of gravity (CG):

The effective point whereby all weight is considered to be; the same point where the axes of flight meet

Control surface:
Any part of an aircraft which can be moved to direct airflow, enabling the aircraft to roll, pitch and yaw

Coordinated flight:
Flight during which the plane’s ailerons and rudder work together to keep the nose and tail traveling in
the same direction

Drag:
The resistance of air against an aircraft’s forward motion

Elevator:
The control surface usually located on the tail of an aircraft, used to stabilize the plane and enable pitch
adjustments

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Fuselage:
The body of an aircraft

Lateral axis:
The imaginary line, from wingtip to wingtip, about which an airplane pitches

Lift:
The force generated primarily by the motion of air passing over an aircraft’s wings

Longitudinal axis:
The imaginary line, from nose to tail, about which an airplane rolls

Operational envelope:
A range in which the aircraft’s center of gravity must be located in order to fly

Pitch:
The motion of an aircraft about the lateral axis, resulting in the nose and tail moving upwards and
downwards

Roll:
The motion of an aircraft about the longitudinal axis, resulting in one wing rising while the other lowers
(the plane rolls side-to-side)

Rudder:
An airplane’s control surface, located on the tail, which helps to steer the aircraft as well as maintain
coordinated flight

Thrust:
The force generated by the aircraft’s propulsion system

Vertical axis:
The imaginary line that runs vertically (perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral axes) through an
aircraft’s center of gravity, about which the plane yaws

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Weight:
The force due to gravity which acts upon every object on Earth

Wind-Axis System:
Similar to the Body-Axis System, the wind-axis system describes aircraft movement in relation to the
direction of flight and wind flow

Yaw:
The motion of an aircraft about the vertical axis, resulting in the plane moving horizontally left and right

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