Basic Contraction of Aircraft
CHAPTER 4
AIRCRAFT BASIC CONSTRUCTION
INTRODUCTION Naval aircraft are built to meet certain specified requirements. These requirements must be selected so they can be built into one aircraft. It is not possible for one aircraft to possess all characteristics; just as it isn't possible for an aircraft to have the comfort of a passenger transport and the maneuverability of a fighter. The type and class of the aircraft determine how strong it must be built. A Navy fighter must be fast, maneuverable, and equipped for attack and defense. To meet these requirements, the aircraft is highly powered and has a very strong structure. The airframe of a fixed-wing aircraft consists of the following five major units: 1. Fuselage 2. Wings 3. Stabilizers 4. Flight controls surfaces 5. Landing gear A rotary-wing aircraft consists of the following four major units: 1. Fuselage 2. Landing gear 3. Main rotor assembly 4. Tail rotor assembly You need to be familiar with the terms used for aircraft construction to work in an aviation rating. STRUCTURAL STRESS LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the five basic stresses acting on an aircraft. The primary factors to consider in aircraft structures are strength, weight, and reliability. These factors determine the requirements to be met by any material used to construct or repair the aircraft. Airframes must be strong and light in weight. An aircraft built so heavy that it couldn't support more than a few hundred pounds of additional weight would be Tension (fig. 4-1, view A) is defined as pull. It is the stress of stretching an object or pulling at its ends. Tension is the resistance to pulling apart or stretching produced by two forces pulling in opposite directions along the same straight line. For example, an elevator control cable is in additional tension when the pilot moves the control column. COMPRESSION If forces acting on an aircraft move toward each other to squeeze the material, the stress is called compression. Compression (fig.
AIRCRAFT BASIC CONSTRUCTION
INTRODUCTION Naval aircraft are built to meet certain specified requirements. These requirements must be selected so they can be built into one aircraft. It is not possible for one aircraft to possess all characteristics; just as it isn't possible for an aircraft to have the comfort of a passenger transport and the maneuverability of a fighter. The type and class of the aircraft determine how strong it must be built. A Navy fighter must be fast, maneuverable, and equipped for attack and defense. To meet these requirements, the aircraft is highly powered and has a very strong structure. The airframe of a fixed-wing aircraft consists of the following five major units: 1. Fuselage 2. Wings 3. Stabilizers 4. Flight controls surfaces 5. Landing gear A rotary-wing aircraft consists of the following four major units: 1. Fuselage 2. Landing gear 3. Main rotor assembly 4. Tail rotor assembly You need to be familiar with the terms used for aircraft construction to work in an aviation rating. STRUCTURAL STRESS LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Identify the five basic stresses acting on an aircraft. The primary factors to consider in aircraft structures are strength, weight, and reliability. These factors determine the requirements to be met by any material used to construct or repair the aircraft. Airframes must be strong and light in weight. An aircraft built so heavy that it couldn't support more than a few hundred pounds of additional weight would be Tension (fig. 4-1, view A) is defined as pull. It is the stress of stretching an object or pulling at its ends. Tension is the resistance to pulling apart or stretching produced by two forces pulling in opposite directions along the same straight line. For example, an elevator control cable is in additional tension when the pilot moves the control column. COMPRESSION If forces acting on an aircraft move toward each other to squeeze the material, the stress is called compression. Compression (fig.