Plane Parts

Piper PA28 Cherokee Warrior

Parts Check

CLICK ON LETTERS FOR DESCRIPTION 


PA28tags

 

 

 

A    Wing-walk:  Rough, non-slip surface on strengthened part of wing for walking.

B    Flap:  Small amounts are used to increase lift for landing and take-off, while larger angles increase drag for landing.

C    Aileron:  There is one on each wing, and one moves up and the other down to roll the plane for turns.

D    Wing-tip light:  Navigation lights so other pilots can work out which way you are heading at night.  Green on the right (starboard) wing and red on the left (Port) wing.

E    Fuel-tank cap:  It’s important to ensure it is firmly on after you check the level each flight.

F    Main-wheel:  The undercarriage on this plane is a tricycle type – it has 2 main-wheels and one nose-wheel.

G    Nose-wheel:  This may be steered by the rudder pedals, or free to turn like a supermarket trolley, when brakes on each main-wheel might be used for steering.

H    Air-intake:  This is vital for cooling the engine and supplying air for burning the fuel, and must be checked clear of debris before starting up.

I    Propeller:  Keep clear at all times to save serious injury.  Even when engines are off, a propeller can suddenly turn if there is an ignition fault.

J    Spinner:  This protects the hub of the propeller and makes it more streamline.

K    Cowling:  This fits closely to the engine so air can flow very near to the hot parts to cool them.  It also streamlines the engine to reduce drag.

L    Stall-warner:  When the plane is flying too slowly, and is in danger of stalling, the small vane in this device flips up and sets off a warning light and horn in the cockpit.

M    Radio aerial:  There are often several radio sets on board; two transmitter/receivers and a number of radio navigational aids.  Some small planes might just use a hand-held transmitter/receiver.

N    Tailplane:  This helps the aircraft fly level.  On this plane it tilts up and down and is called a stabiliser, but on other sorts of planes it is fixed and an elevator does that job.

O    Tail-fin:  This keeps the aircraft heading straight, though in a strong side-wind, it can make it trickier.

P    Flashing beacon (red):  This warns other planes if they are close enough.  Very bright flashing lights might also be fitted on the wing tips.  A plane on the ground may start its beacon flashing just before starting its engines.

Q    Tail-light: This white light is visible from behind to warn a following aircraft of the plane in front.

R    Rudder:  This allows the plane to steer left or right. It may be used to work with the ailerons in turns.

S    Elevator:  This makes the plane pitch more nose-up or nose-down to adjust the attitude.  On this plane it is used to help adjust the stabiliser (moving tailplane) and is called a trim-tab (anti-servo tab actually).

T    Door-lock lever:  This can be opened from inside or outside, but is designed to seal the door tightly and prevent it opening accidentally.

Now try a quiz and see how much you have learnt?

Parts Quiz

UK Youth Aviation Education