Naval Aircraft

INTRODUCTION

Naval aircraft are built to meet certain specified requirements. These requirements must be selected so they can be built into one aircraft. It is not possible for one aircraft to possess all characteristics; just as it isn’tpossible for an aircraft to have the comfort of a passenger transport and the maneuverability of a fighter. The type and class of the aircraft determine how strong it must be built. A Navy fighter must be fast, maneuverable, and equipped for attack and defense. To meet these requirements, the aircraft is highly powered and has a very strong structure.The airframe of a fixed-wing aircraft consists of the following five major units:

1. Fuselage
2. Wings
3. Stabilizers
4. Flight controls surfaces
5. Landing gear

You need to be familiar with the terms used for aircraft construction to work in an aviation rating.

 
2. STRUCTURAL STRESS
2.1 TENSION

Tension (fig. 4-1, view A) is defined as pull.It is the stress of stretching an object or pulling at its ends.Tension is the resistance to pulling apart or stretching produced by two forces pulling in opposite directions along the same straight line. For example, an elevator control cable is in additional tension when the pilot moves the control column.

 
2.2 COMPRESSION

If forces acting on an aircraft move toward each other to squeeze the material, the stress is called compression. Compression (fig. 4-1, view B) is the opposite of tension. Tension is pull , and compression is push.Compression is the resistance to crushing produced by two forces pushing toward each other in the same straight line. For example, when an airplane is on the ground, the landing gear struts are under a constant compression stress