← Video Library

Free · 15 videos

Airframes and Systems Explainer Videos

A complete walk-through of Airframes and Systems for your pilot theory exams, from aircraft structures and flight controls to hydraulics, pressurisation, fuel and fire protection. Watch in order or jump to the topic you need. All videos are free.

Get the Audio Course Try the Question Bank

01

Skybound Engineering: The Anatomy of Aircraft Structures

How airframes withstand lift, drag, gravity, vibration and pressurisation loads: truss, monocoque and semi-monocoque construction, spars, ribs, stringers and skin, flutter, the empennage, structural materials and corrosion.

02

The Mechanics and Evolution of Aircraft Flight Control Systems

The three axes of pitch, roll and yaw, the primary flight controls, what causes adverse yaw in a turn, how the rudder really works, how flaps change camber, lift and drag, and the move to powered and fly-by-wire controls.

03

The Engineering and Mechanics of Aircraft Flight Control Systems

How elevators, ailerons and rudder control pitch, roll and yaw, differential aileron movement, secondary controls such as trim tabs, slats and leading-edge flaps, and the evolution from cables and pulleys to hydraulics and fly-by-wire.

04

Principles and Mechanics of Aircraft Flight Controls

Control surfaces and their axes, hinge moment and the balancing that reduces control forces, and how fly-by-wire systems turn pilot inputs into control surface movement with artificial feel.

05

Mechanics and Evolution of Powered Flight Control Systems

Why large aircraft need powered flying controls, artificial feel units using spring boxes or pitot (Q) pressure, feel trim, hydraulic redundancy and backup layers, and the benefits of fly-by-wire and electric actuators.

Enjoying these? Go deeper with the full Student Pilot Audio Course, or test yourself with the Question Bank.

Get the Audio Course Try the Question Bank

06

Aviation Hydraulics: The Physics and Mechanics of Flight Control

Pascal's law, the reservoir, pump, selector valve and actuator, hydraulic pumps and accumulators, mineral versus phosphate-ester fluids, and how hydraulics drive flight controls, landing gear and brakes.

07

Engineering the Modern Aircraft Wheel

Split-hub wheel construction, tyre creep and creep marks, what happens when brakes overheat a wheel and tyre, and nose-wheel shimmy and the dampers that prevent it.

08

The Engineering and Maintenance of Aircraft Tyres

Tubed and tubeless tyres, carcass, breaker strip and bead construction, tyre pressures for different aircraft and surfaces, the aquaplaning formula V = 9√P, wear patterns from over- and under-inflation, and practical tyre care.

09

Principles and Applications of Aircraft Pneumatic Systems

How engine bleed air powers air conditioning, anti-icing, engine starting and pressurisation, the air cycle machine and heat exchangers, ground air supply, and the relief, shut-off and isolation valves that protect the system.

10

Aviation Engineering: The Science of Aircraft Pressurization

Why aircraft are pressurised, hypoxia and rapid decompression, cabin altitude and differential pressure, how air is supplied, conditioned and circulated, the pressurisation profile from pre-flight to descent, and system redundancy.

Enjoying these? Go deeper with the full Student Pilot Audio Course, or test yourself with the Question Bank.

Get the Audio Course Try the Question Bank

11

Lifelines in the Sky: Aviation Oxygen Systems and Safety

Hypoxia and its symptoms, time of useful consciousness at altitude, passenger drop-down masks, crew diluter-demand and quick-donning masks, the fire risk of oxygen with oil and grease, and the emergency drill: don masks and descend.

12

Aviation Systems for Ice and Rain Protection

How supercooled water droplets form ice and destroy lift, ice detection systems, pneumatic de-icing boots, thermal anti-icing, propeller de-icing and windscreen rain protection.

13

Aviation Fuel Systems

AVGAS versus Jet A-1, freezing points and waxing, specific gravity, contamination from water, microbes and static, capacitive fuel quantity systems and dipsticks, fuel jettison, and safe refuelling with bonding.

14

Aviation Fire Systems

Fire zones including engines, the APU and cargo holds, fusible-link and continuous-loop fire detectors, the fire drill, and extinguishing agents including Halon 1211, Halon 1301, CO2 and water glycol.

15

Aviation Smoke Detection Systems and Safety Protocols

Smoke detection in cabins, cargo holds and lavatories, optical and ionisation detectors, lavatory fusible-plug extinguishers, crew response with smoke hoods and portable extinguishers, and the testing and regulations behind them.

Ready to pass Airframes and Systems?

Test what you have learned with exam-style questions, or keep learning on the go with the full Student Pilot Audio Course.

Try the Question Bank Get the Audio Course