Humanities › History & Culture Parts of an Airplane Print History & Culture Inventions Famous Inventions Famous Inventors Patents & Trademarks Invention Timelines Computers & The Internet American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Genealogy Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Mary Bellis Mary Bellis Inventions Expert Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on November 05, 2019 01 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Fuselage The body of the plane is called the fuselage. The body of the plane is called the fuselage. NASA The different parts of an airplane. The body of the plane is called the fuselage. It is generally a long tube shape. The wheels of a plane are called the landing gear. There are two main wheels on either side of the plane fuselage. Then there is one more wheel near the front of the plane. The brakes for the wheels are like the brakes for cars. They are operated by pedals, one for each wheel. Most landing gear can be folded into the fuselage during the flight and opened for landing. 02 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Wings All planes have wings. Parts of an Airplane - Wings. NASA All planes have wings. The wings are shaped with smooth surfaces. There is a curve to the wings which helps push the air over the top more quickly than it goes under the wing. As the wing moves, the air flowing over the top has farther to go and it moves faster than the air underneath the wing. So the air pressure above the wing is less than below it. This produces the upward lift. The shape of the wings determines how fast and high the plane can fly. Wings are called airfoils. Read More Learn How a Jet Engine Works By Mary Bellis 03 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Flaps The flaps and ailerons are connected to the backside of the wings. The hinged control surfaces are used to steer and control the airplane. The flaps and ailerons are connected to the backside of the wings. The flaps slide back and down to increase the surface of the wing area. They also tilt down to increase the curve of the wing. The slats move out from the front of the wings to make the wing space larger. This helps to increase the lifting force of the wing at slower speeds like takeoff and landing. 04 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Ailerons The ailerons are hinged on the wings. The ailerons are hinged on the wings and move downward to push the air down and make the wings tilt up. This moves the plane to the side and helps it turn during flight. After landing, the spoilers are used like air brakes to reduce any remaining lift and slow down the airplane. 05 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Tail The tail at the rear of the plane provides stability. Parts of an Airplane - Tail. NASA The tail at the rear of the plane provides stability. The fin is the vertical part of the tail. The rudder at the back of the plane moves left and right to control the left or right movement of the plane. The elevators are found at the rear of the plane. They can be raised or lowered to change the direction of the plane's nose. The plane will go up or down depending on the direction of that the elevators are moved. 06 of 06 Parts of an Airplane - Engine Parts of an Airplane - Engines. NASA Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Bellis, Mary. "Parts of an Airplane." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/parts-of-an-airplane-4123030. Bellis, Mary. (2020, August 26). Parts of an Airplane. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/parts-of-an-airplane-4123030 Bellis, Mary. "Parts of an Airplane." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/parts-of-an-airplane-4123030 (accessed April 20, 2024). copy citation