How Jetliners Fly
Commercial jetliners - like all airplanes - fly according to basic physical principles. To find out how they work, following the links below:
- Airplane Parts
- Aerodynamics
- Propulsion
For an interactive version (Flash required), click here.
Airplane Parts
A typical jetliner has wings, a fuselage, and an empennage with horizontal and vertical stabilizers. As the name suggests, these tail stabilizers act like the feathers of an arrow to make sure the airplane flies straight. Moveable surfaces on the tails are used to rotate the airplane nose up and down or yaw left and right.
Pitch
To maneuver, a jetliner uses control surfaces attached to its wings and tail. Moving the elevators up or down makes the jet's nose rise or drop (pitch axis).
Yaw
Moving the rudder side to side swings the nose left or right (yaw axis).
Roll
Using the ailerons banks the airplane left or right around it's roll axis.
Flaps and Slats
Jetliner wings have leading and trailing edge devices (slats and flaps) that extend during takeoffs and landings (low speed flight) and retract for cruise (high speed flight). The landing gear also retracts in flight to reduce drag. Jets also have swept wings. Wing sweep lets them fly closer to the speed of sound than airplanes with straight wings.
Spoilers
Jets fly so efficiently, in fact, that they need spoilers to help them slow down and lose altitude. Spoilers are hydraulically actuated panels on the tops of the wings. Pilots sometimes call them "speed brakes" or "lift dumpers," reflecting their function. On landing, they deploy even higher to make sure the airplane stays on the ground.