HOW DO AEROPLANES WORK?

By Ishaan Bhandari

Have you ever wondered when you go on holiday how the giant flying beast you're in keeps you aloft? Probably not! Read this to find out how!

The cockpit contains all the controls for example the throttle controlled by a lever in between the two seats, the flaps controls are also there, the elevators and ailerons are on a side 360 degree joystick , the rudder and brakes are near the foot area and the landing gear is on the main dashboard, along with all the navigation equipment.

The ailerons are flaps on the wings and are a complex way of turning. One goes up and the    other goes down. Because more lift is produced on one side, it tilts, or banks, so the plane moves left or right. As a passenger you will feel it.

The rudder moves from left to right which disturbs the rushing air and directs it towards the left or right pushing the whole plane in that direction.

The undercarriage aka the wheels or a more technical term is landing gear are pulled up by a fast hydraulic system to reduce air drag after take-off and released when landing to let it touch down on the runway.

The elevators move up and down to direct the rushing air up or down so that the planes nose pivots around the middle of the plane, pulling it up or down.

The jet engines or the throttle suck in air from a fan blade, they squeeze it together as the gas gets hotter and then burn it with kerosene which is the fuel stored in the wings to push the plane forward.

The flaps on the wing are deployed during take-off to increase lift as the rushing air is directed down and in     landing as they also reduce speed.

The spoilers, also known as the brakes , are little flaps that extend upwards on the flat of the wing’s surface, disturbing air flow and causing the drag to increase which  slows the plane down.

I hope you have learnt a lot about how these flying wonders operate to carry you to your destination…