Lecture: How a Jet Airliner Works by Jake O'Neal

Airframe

• Made up of thousands of damage-resistant panels attached to a lightweight airframe.
• Uses carbon fiber reinforced material, as well as aluminum and aluminum alloys.
• Composed of vertical frames, longerons, stringers, intercostals, and subframes.
• Important components:
  • Radome: Protects weather radar antenna and allows radio frequencies to pass.
  • Bird strike barrier: Double-layered protection.
  • Pressure bulkheads: Separate pressurized/unpressurized areas.
  • Wings: Attach near the center, with support from the center wing box and keel beam.
  • Stabilizers: Vertical and horizontal with additional frame supports; tailcone houses the APU.

Windows and Doors

• Windows: Chemically strengthened glass layers with anti-static coating. Cabin windows have thick acrylic panes.
• Doors: Various types including passenger, service, cargo, and emergency doors. Must be disarmed before opening to avoid slide deployment.

Wings and Flight Control Surfaces

• Primary control surfaces:
  • Ailerons: Roll control.
  • Elevators: Pitch control.
  • Rudder: Yaw control.
• Secondary control surfaces: Leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps.
  • Spoilers: Assist with roll control and create downforce during landing.
  • Static dischargers: Discharge static electricity.

Landing Gear

• Main landing gear: Hydraulically retracted, with shock absorbers and carbon brake stacks.
• Nose landing gear: Slightly smaller, similar operation to main landing gear.

Engines

• Thrust reverser assembly: Reverses fan thrust after touchdown.
• Auxiliary Power Unit (APU): Supplies backup power and assists in engine starting.

Fuel System

• Fuel tanks: Left, center, and right. Max capacity: 5,681 gallons (21,508 liters).
• Uses nitrogen-rich air to reduce fire risk.
• Fuel pumps: Main pump in jet engine, assistive pumps, and electrical boost pumps.

Air Management

• Pressurization: Collected from engine compressors and cooled with outside air.
• Anti-ice system: Uses hot bleed air.

Electrical System

• Equipment bays: Forward and mid bays manage the plane's electronics.
• Power sources: Generators on each engine, APU as backup.

Hydraulics

• Three systems: Two main (redundant), third for emergencies.
• Controls flight surfaces, spoilers, landing gear, etc.

Water and Waste Systems

• Water: Supplied from 42-gallon tank. Heated components to prevent freezing.
• Waste: Grey water drains out, black water stored and vacuum-fed to waste tank.

Emergency Systems

• Includes first aid kits, life vests, oxygen masks/generators, emergency locator transmitter, RAT, fire detection/extinguishing systems.

Recording Systems

• Flight data recorder: Records last 50 hours of data, emits underwater signal for 90 days.
• Aircraft health management system: Monitors maintenance data and conditions.

Crew, Passengers, and Cargo

• Flight deck door: Bulletproof, keypad entry, surveillance cameras.
• Seating: Front and rear galleys with folding crew seats.

External Lighting and Antennas

• Navigation lights: Red, green, and white for visibility.
• Beacon and strobe lights: Collision avoidance.
• Other lights: Runway, taxi, and inspection lights.
• Antennas: For radio communication, collision avoidance, GPS, internet, etc.