Editing Fixed-wing aircraft (section)

===Air frame===
{{main|Airframe}}
The structural element of a fixed-wing aircraft is the air frame. It varies according to the aircraft's type, purpose, and technology. Early airframes were made of wood with fabric wing surfaces, When engines became available for powered flight, their mounts were made of metal. As speeds increased metal became more common until by the end of World War II, all-metal (and glass) aircraft were common. In modern times, [[composite material]]s became more common.

Typical structural elements include:

* One or more mostly horizontal wings, often with an [[airfoil]] cross-section. The wing deflects air downward as the aircraft moves forward, generating [[Lift (force)|lifting force]] to support it in flight. The wing also provides lateral stability to stop the aircraft level in steady flight. Other roles are to hold the fuel and mount the engines.
[[Image:Antonov 225 (2010).jpg|thumb|The [[An-225 Mriya]], which was the largest airplane in the world, could carry a 250-tonne payload, had two vertical stabilizers.]]
* A [[fuselage]], typically a long, thin body, usually with tapered or rounded ends to make its shape [[aerodynamically]] slippery. The fuselage joins the other parts of the air frame and contains the payload, and flight systems.
* A [[vertical stabilizer]] or fin is a rigid surface mounted at the rear of the plane and typically protruding above it. The fin stabilizes the plane's [[Flight dynamics (aircraft)|yaw]] (turn left or right) and mounts the [[rudder]] which controls its rotation along that axis.
* A [[horizontal stabilizer]], usually mounted at the tail near the vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer is used to stabilize the plane's [[Flight dynamics (aircraft)|pitch]] (tilt up or down) and mounts the [[Elevator (aircraft)|elevators]] that provide pitch control.
* [[Landing gear]], a set of wheels, skids, or floats that support the plane while it is not in flight. On seaplanes, the bottom of the fuselage or floats (pontoons) support it while on the water. On some planes, the landing gear retracts during the flight to reduce drag.