The Wing
The wing is one of the main parts of an airplane. The wings are what lift the airplane in flight. On the wing, there are the ailerons, flaps, spoilers, airbrakes, and slats. The wing is where the fuel is stored.
The flaps and ailerons are found on the back of the wing.
The part that is closest to the fuselage is the flap and the farther one is the aileron.
The ailerons are used for turning. When the right aileron goes up and the left one goes down, the airplane goes right. If the left aileron goes up and the right one down, the airplane goes left. The flaps, on the other hand, have a totally different purpose. The flaps are used for flying at low altitude. They change the wing’s shape to allow more or less lift.
The piece of metal that is sticking up in the picture, is called a spoiler.
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Spoilers are sometimes known as speed brakes, although this comparison is not always accurate. The spoilers are located in the middle of the top of a wing. Another job for spoilers to increase drag and decrease lift (see forces of the airplane). Airbrakes, on the other hand, are made only to increase drag. Airbrakes and spoilers are usually combined together on the wing. Sometimes, though, you will see the speed brakes on the top of the fuselage. Separate spoilers and brakes are more commonly seen on faster airplanes like fighter jets.
Slats play an important role on the wing. Slats are sometimes on the front of the wing, and sometimes on the back. They are an extra piece of wing tucked in the front of the wing.
They extend to increase lift when the airplane is flying at a low altitude, like at
takeoff and landing. There are three types of slats; automatic slats, fixed slats, and powered slats. Automatic slats automatically slide out with the help of gravity when the airplane is moving slowly. Fixed slats, otherwise known as slots, are fixed in place. They are used on small personal planes that fly slowly. Powered slats are controlled by the pilot. All in all, wings play a very crucial role in the flight of airplanes.