What are the basics of how a plane works?

How does a jet engine work?


How does the plane adopt when flaps are applied1


all such information on how a plane stays in the air and moves would be excellent XD|||http://www.howstuffworks.com/airplane.ht鈥?/a>|||Heads up... This is really boring.





for any engine to work you need these components. Oxygen, fuel and pressure.





The turbojet works on the suck, squeeze, bang, blow principle. The intake takes in air which is then compressed and forced through the combustion chamber. The air makes it possible for the fuel to be burned. This creates very hot gasses which turn the turbine and are forced out the nozzle.





The compressor is attached to the turbine. So as the gasses turn the turbine which turns the compressor which allows more air in and etc.





Now a question you may ask is what stops the turbine and compressor spinning the other direction. If this were to happen the engine could fly backwards (not good in case you're wondering). The turbine and compressor blades are at different angles. This makes it easier for the air to flow out the right side.





Some engines have what is called an afterburner. This is a second combustion chamber which makes even more hot gas resulting in more pressure.





The principles of flight are based on the Bernoulli principle. Basically that gives the plain the lift. Google that one because I'm tired.





In order to maximize efficiency the plain is aerodynamic. And to make sure that the plain is stable and doesn't just flop around we add a certain amount of drag.





Google the rest of the info.





but if you're planning on building an engine, a turbocharger will take care of the turbine and compressor part making the remaining work a lot easier. Look up Sal's DIY homemade jet page. I'm trying to make one for my bike :%26gt;|||Just a short comment on how a wing produces lift. It is not easy to explain but just like a boat which displaces it's weight in water in order to float, meaning that the amount of water the boat pushed out from under it equals it's weight.


The same principle applies to airplanes since air is also a fluid however, the airplane must be moving in order to displaced it's weight.


A good explanation is at:


http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/AERO/airflylv鈥?/a>|||The answer to that question is very extensive, and cannot be given in this space. Try an internet search on "principles of flight."





For a good, simple overview, use the "howstuffworks" link given above by cherokeeflyer.|||Check this site out..





Top of the page, under principles. There are Levels 1 through 3,


depending on the degree of knowledge.





http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/|||Im not gonna give you a link to look at im just going to tell you.





Basically a plane works by generating lift from its wings which when combined with a form of propulsion make it fly.





Hows that work then? Well simply a planes wing is curved along its top edge and flat along its bottom edge, this means wind moves faster below the wing and slower above it.





This means that as the wind slows down the air pressure drops. The wind under the wing is still at the same pressure and thus pushes up on the wing.





Flaps work by changing the shape of the wing, when the flaps on a plane are extended they increase the surface area and curve of the top of the wing and thus increase the lift generated. This means that the plane can take off much slower that with just a static wing, it also means the plane can land at a slower speed with out stalling.





Jet engines can work in many different ways and there are several different types. They type most common on commercial planes and in fighter jets is the TurboFan design.





Basically what happens in a turbofan is that air is drawn in through the engine by a large 'fan'. Behind this fan are other fans that act as a low pressure compressor, this air is then pushed through the engine to a high pressure narrow part of the engine called the combustion chamber. Here jet fuel is added and then burnt with the air, this makes the air expand rapidly and is pushed out of the back of the engine.


This process generates thrust, and quite a lot of it!


In fact the ones that rolls-royce make for the 747 put out about 60,600 pounds of force.





How does a plane stay in the air and move about?


Well in order to actually move around and do the whole flying about thing that they do they use 3 main 'control surfaces'.


These are basically parts of the wing that move in order to adjust the pitch (up and down movement) and roll (side to side) and the yaw (movment to left or right).





These are the;


Ailerons


Rudder


Elevator





The Ailerons are on the wing, a bit like the flaps, when the pilot wants to adjust the roll of the plane he moves his stick or 'yoke' to the left or the right. The Ailerons on each wing then move in oppersite directions, increaseing drag on one wing on the upper edge while reducing it on the other wings lower edge.





The rudder is on the tailplane normally and works in the exact same way as a ships rudder. The pilot can adjust the rudder using pedels under his feet and this will swing the rudder left or right. This has the effect of increasing drag on that side of the plane and making it 'yaw' to the side. This is used for long controlled turns (as well as in some stunts).





The Elevator is the part that helps control the pitch of the plane, when the pilot pulls back on his yoke or flight stick the Elevator, which is normally on the tailplanes stabliser, moves up which increases drag on the upper part of the wing and pushes it down, this force then tilts the nose of the plane up which in turn increases the altitude of the plane. When the pilot pushes down the Elevator moves down and increases the drag on the lower half of the wing which pushes the tail up and the nose down.





Hope that helps.