In the first part of this exercise you learnt the names in English of the main parts of an aircraft (e.g. fuselage, wings, cockpit etc...). In this part, you are going to learn the names (and what they are used for) of some more advanced parts on the outside of an aircraft. These are the parts of an aircraft which are used to make the plane move (go up and down, and left and right).
To both learn and (more importantly) remember the names of these important aircraft parts in English, first read the below text and then do the quiz/text after it.
I would recommend that you do the first part of this exercise before you do this because some of the vocabulary in it is used here.
To see our other exercises on aviation English vocabulary, go to our aviation English exercise menu.
To help you know what the parts are, when reading the text look at the below drawing of an aircraft. This drawing shows all the parts of an aircraft you'll learn in the exercise except one (the spoilers).
In the following conversation, Peter (a professional pilot) explains to Juan (a Spanish trainee pilot) the names in English of the different parts of an airplane.
From using both the text and the image of an aircraft above, try to guess what each aircraft part in bold in the text is. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.
Peter:'So now, I am going to ask you about some other parts of an aircraft.'
Juan:'Ok.'
Peter:'On the wings there are various panels/parts which are used to control the aircraft.'
Juan:'To help the plane to take off, slow down and to move left or right.'
Peter:'That's right. So, what are the name of the panels/parts attached to the back part of the wings next to the fuselage that are used to help the airplane take off from the runway and to slow it down when landing?'
Juan:'I think they are called the flaps. But they are not the only panels/parts attached to the back part of the wings, are they?'
Peter:'No they aren't. There is a panel/part attached at the back of each wing near the tip/end which are used to turn the aircraft either left or right. Do you know what these are called?'
Juan:'I think they are called the ailerons.'
Peter:'That's correct. And what about the panels/parts on the top of the wing in front of the flaps, which are used to make an aircraft descend/go down more quickly?'
Juan:'I know this. They are called the spoilers. They are also used to slow the plane down when the plane has landed on the runway.'
Peter:'They do. So now let's look at the back or tail of an aircraft. There are two types of small wings attached to the fuselage and are fixed (they don't move). One which is vertical and the other which is horizontal. Do you know what these are called?'
Juan:'The one which is vertical is called the fin.'
Peter:'And the small wings which are horizontal which are under the fin at each side of it?'
Juan:'They are called the tailplanes.'
Peter:'Perfect. Although neither the fin and the tailplanes move, they each have a panel/part which does. So what is the name of the panel/part at the back of the fin which is used to help the aircraft turn left or right?'
Juan:'It's the same as on a boat or ship, it's called a rudder.'
Peter:'That's right. So to end, tell me what the names of the panels/parts are at the back of the tailplanes?'
Juan:'They are called the elevators.'
Peter:'And what are they used to do?'
Juan:'They are used to make the nose of the aircraft either point up (so the plane climbs/goes up) or point down (so the plane descends/goes down).'
Peter:'That's correct. Well done.'
Below is a photo/picture of each of the parts of a plane in bold from the above text. Now choose the part from the question's selection box which you believe matches the photo/picture. Only use each part once. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.
When the answer is correct, two icons will appear below the answer. The "" icon contains extra information on the part of the plane. In the "" icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the name.
Now that you understand the vocabulary, practise it. Click on the "" icon under each correct answer and listen to the name of the part of the aircraft and then test your own pronunciation in the 'prounciation speaking test'. Then create your own sentences with the new words/phrases.
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