Airplane parts and movements

Transcription

1 Airplane parts and movements Your Activity Build a model airplane and explain airplane parts and movements Material 1. Balsa Jetfire Glider Kits 2. Airplane Parts and Movements - Reference 3. Airplane Parts and Movements - Quiz Create 1. Use the instructions supplied with the kit to build a model airplane 2. Using the Airplane Parts and Movements Reference document, identify the parts and movements of the plane 3. Complete the Airplane Parts and Movements Quiz 4. Participate in flight competition Science Topics Aerodynamics, Physics What s going on? Airplanes are transportation devices whi ch are designed to move people and cargo from one place to another. Airplanes come in many different shapes and sizes depending on the mission of the aircraft. The airplane shown on this slide is a turbine-powered airliner which has been chosen as a representative aircraft. At any given moment, roughly 5,000 airplanes crisscross the skies above the United States alone, amounting to an estimated 64 million commercial and private takeoffs every year. Have you wondered how these heavy machines take to the air? There are four main forces that makes airplane flight possible: Thrust, Drag, Weight and Lift. Four forces act on a plane in flight. When the plane flies horizontally, lift from the wings exactly balances the plane's weight. But the other two forces do not balance: the thrust from the engines pushing forward always exceeds the drag (air resistance) pulling the plane back. That's why the plane moves through the air.

2 Airplane Parts and Movements Activity Lead Notes Introduction TBD Objectives Students will: TBD Age Group 8 years+ Preparing Materials Handouts Conduct Experiment Resources Discuss student observations With a large model plane to demonstrate these motions and airplane parts are usually quite clear. The reason the amount of lift changes when the control surfaces are moved is that the control surfaces change the angle of attack of the surface. This goes back to the lift lesson, but it applies to all three of the main control surfaces. I mention flaps only because they are so often confused with ailerons and they serve entirely different purposes. This can also be discussed after building models and during the first flights.

3 Airplane Parts and Movements Reference Wings: the wings are the part of the plane that create the most lift. Fuselage: this is the "body" of the plane where passengers sit and cargo is carried. Empennage: this is the whole tail section of the plane, including the: Horizontal stabilizer: this part of the tail also creates some lift and helps balance the airplane. Vertical stabilizer: this is the "fin" that keeps the nose of the plane from swinging side-to-side. Powerplant: the engine, which is part of the airplane's propulsion system. [Picture] There are some important moving parts on airplanes. These parts are called control surfaces because their movements are what cause the airplane to turn and go up or down. The main control surfaces are: Ailerons: these are the moving parts on closer to the ends of the wings and should not be confused with flaps. When the aileron on one wing goes up, the aileron on the opposite wing will go down. The wing with the aileron going down will create more lift and the wing with the aileron going up will create less lift and more drag. The difference will make the plane roll right and left around the center of gravity. Flaps: these are the moving parts on the wing closer to the fuselage and are used during takeoff and landing. Unlike ailerons, the flaps on both wings will always go down together. [Picture] Elevator: the elevator is the moving part of the horizontal stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer works like a wing and the elevator will help it create more or less life. When the elevator goes down the horizontal stabilizer will create more lift, which will push the nose of the airplane down. When the elevator goes upthe horizontal stabilizer will create less lift and the nose of the plane will go up. This motion is called pitch and it also moves around the center of gravity. Rudder: the rudder is the moving part of the vertical stabilizer. The vertical stabilizer works like a wing too, but turned on its side. When the rudder moves left or right there will be more or less lift on one side of the vertical stabilizer. The side creating more lift will push the nose of the plane the opposite direction. This motion is called yaw and it also moves around the center of gravity.

4 Quiz Airplane Parts & Movements Source: NASA Using the picture above and a little imagination, answer the following questions. The motion of all airplane parts is as if you were looking at the airplane from the front. 1. Write the names of the parts of the airplane pictured above? 2. Describe the following aircraft motions. A. Pitch: B. Roll: C. Yaw: D. Loop: E. Dive: F. Climb: G. Lift: 3. What are the functions of the parts of the airplane pictured above? 0. A: 1. B: 2. C: 3. D: 4. E: 5. F: 6. G: 7. H: 8. I: 9. J:

5 4. Which parts are used to control lift at low speed for takeoff and landing? 5. Which parts, installed one to each wing, operate in opposite directions (i.e., one up and one down)? 6. If the part in Problem 4 on the right wing is up and the one on the left wing is down, what will the airplane do? 7. If the pilot lowers the elevator, what will the airplane's tail do? 8. What will this in turn cause the airplane's nose to do? 9. If the pilot moves the rudder to the left, what will the airplane's tail do? 10. What will this in turn cause the airplane's nose to do? 11. What motion will occur in an airplane with the elevator deflected up and the rudder deflected to the right? 12. What is a spoiler?