What Are Fixed Wing Aircraft and Their Components?
In the realm of aviation, there are various flying machines that achieve flight through the use of various technologies, aerodynamics, and more. These can include aircraft, helicopters, hot air balloons, gliders, and airships.Fixed wing aircraft are a special type that feature wings to achieve flight through lift. In this blog, we will discuss the common components of fixed wing aircraft that make them distinct from other types of flying machines.
With all fixed wing aircraft, they consist of an airframe that includes a fuselage, wings, stabilizers, and landing gear. The fuselage of the aircraft is important, as this is the body that most other parts are attached to as well as house cabins, cockpits, and flight systems. Depending on the aircraft type, they may have a number of wings that are extended horizontally from the aircraft to generate lift so that the aircraft may sustain flight. Stabilizers are important for the manipulation of the aircraft’s direction and orientation, allowing a pilot to control a plane’s yaw and pitch, as well as stabilize both. Lastly, landing gear may consist of wheels, skids, floats, or other similar aircraft gear to create safe landing on a surface. Landing gear will also often feature the aircraft brakes to slow down the plane once it is landed.
Most technological development of the fixed wing aircraft as a powered vehicle has taken place since the 1900s and continues to this day. By World War I, powered aircraft had the capability to achieve sustained heavier than air flight. Through the war, they continued to develop as weapons, surveillance tools, and proved useful for commercial transportation. Between World War I and II, aircraft development brought metal bodies, improved engines, and increased long distance capabilities. These features became standard across powered fixed wing aircraft and size, efficiency, and ability only continued to increase over the years.
Although flying machines such as kites are considered to be fixed wing aircraft, the term as we know it has drastically changed as technology continues to advance. Now, man-powered aircraft can traverse great distances across the globe at record speeds. The ability to transport groups of individuals through the skies is something that many have never through feasible until now. In the coming years, fixed wing aircraft and the aviation industry will continue to develop alongside each other, ever reaching greater heights.
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