AFOQT General Aviation Knowledge: Airplane Components

Fuselage

The central structure of the aircraft

What is the primary function of the wings?

To generate lift

What do ailerons do and where are they?

Ailerons are on the wings and allow the plane to bank left or right.

Where are the flaps on the wing? What do they do?

The wing flaps are on the trailing edge of the wing. They extend during takeoff and landing to create more lift and reduce landing speeds.

What is the empennage?

The tail section of the aircraft.

What does the empennage consist of?

The horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, elevators, and rudder.

What does the horizontal stabilizer do? How do they work with the elevators?

Helps maintain the aircraft's pitch stability and the elevators control the pitch during flight.

What do the vertical stabilizers do? How do they work with the rudder?

They prevent lateral motion and the rudder allows the pilot to control the yaw of the aircraft.

What does landing gear do?

Facilitates take-off and landing and includes the main landing gear, which takes the most weight, and the nose landing gear, located at the front.

What is the powerplant?

It is made up of one or more engines and generate thrust to propel the aircraft forwards.

What are the types of engines?

Piston, turbo, and jet-powered

What is the difference between piston and turbo engines?

Piston engines use controlled explosions inside of cylinders to set the propeller in motion. Turbo engines compress and ignite air to generate a high-speed exhaust. Turbo is considered more powerful than piston.

What are avionics and what does it consist of?

Avionics are the electronics systems of the aircraft. They consist of navigation, communication, and monitoring systems.

What are the flight controls and what do they consist of?

The flight controls are the mechanisms that maneuver the aircraft. They usually consist of the control yoke or stick. There may also be foot pedals.

How does the control yoke or stick and the foot pedals work?

By tilting the yoke, it engages the ailerons to tilt the aircraft left and right. By pushing or pulling the yoke, it controls the elevators for pitch control. The foot pedals control the rudder for yaw adjustments.

What are the fuel systems?

The fuel systems store and deliver the fuel necessary for the engines to function properly.

Where are the fuel systems? How is the fuel distributed?

Usually, the fuel is stored in tanks within the wings or fuselage to prevent weight imbalance during flight. From there, the fuel is distributed through a network of pumps, pipes, and valves.

Where are hydraulic systems used and what do they use?

Hydraulic systems use incompressible fluids, like oil, to transmit force and control various components. Brake systems, landing gear, and flight control surfaces use hydraulics.

Where are pneumatic systems used and what do they use?

Pneumatic systems use compressible gases, like air, to work. They are less common in modern aircraft but are usually used in emergency brake systems.