• 14 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Plane Wing

An airliner wing from above, then with its skin off to show what is inside.

Parts of a Plane Wing

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Leading edge
  2. Trailing edge
  3. Wing root
  4. Wing tip
  5. Winglet
  6. Slats
  7. Flaps
  8. Aileron
  9. Spoilers
  10. Spar
  11. Ribs
  12. Stringers
  13. Fuel tank
  14. Skin

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

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All 14 parts on the diagram

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Edges and ends 5

  1. Leading edge The front edge of the wing.
  2. Trailing edge The rear edge of the wing. The flaps and ailerons are hinged along it.
  3. Wing root The part of the wing closest to the fuselage.
  4. Wing tip The outer end of the wing.
  5. Winglet An upturned piece on the tip of the wing. It reduces drag.

Moving surfaces 4

  1. Slats Panels on the front edge that slide forward for takeoff and landing.
  2. Flaps Hinged rear sections near the body. They go down for takeoff and landing.
  3. Aileron The outboard hinged part of the wing. It rolls the airplane.
  4. Spoilers Small plates that rise to disrupt the airflow and reduce lift.

Inside the wing 5

  1. Spar A main beam of the wing, running from root to tip.
  2. Ribs They run front to back and give the wing its shape.
  3. Stringers Thin strips running along the wing, part of its frame.
  4. Fuel tank On most modern airplanes the fuel is carried inside the wing.
  5. Skin The outer covering of the wing. It takes the shape of the ribs.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) FAA, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), chapter 3 Aircraft Construction, figure 3-7 Wing components, https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/05_phak_ch3.pdf ; chapter 5, https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/07_phak_ch5.pdf (wing root); chapter 6 Flight Controls, https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/08_phak_ch6.pdf (ailerons, flaps, slats, spoilers, leading and trailing edge). (2) NASA Glenn Research Center, Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics, Airplane Parts and Function, https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/airplane-parts-function/ (aileron, flaps, slats, spoilers, winglets). (3) Wikipedia, text only: Wing, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing ; Wing root; Wing tip; Wingtip device; Flap (aeronautics); Aileron; Leading-edge slat; Spoiler (aeronautics); Spar (aeronautics); Rib (aeronautics); Wet wing. Wing root rests on sources 1 and 3; winglet on 2 and 3; spar, ribs, stringers, skin and fuel tank on 1 and 3. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no airline, no maker's aircraft, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a plane wing, drawn on the right wing of an airliner seen from above. The first view shows the edges and the moving surfaces. The second takes the skin off.

Read the full guide

What moves, from the window seat

The rear edge carries two kinds of hinged surface. The flaps, near the body, go down for takeoff and landing. The aileron, out near the tip, rolls the airplane, and the one on the other wing moves the opposite way. Spoilers are the small plates on top that rise to reduce lift. Slats slide forward from the front edge.

What holds it together

Under the skin, spars run from the wing root to the wing tip and ribs cross them from front to back. Stringers run along the wing between them. On most modern airplanes the fuel is carried inside the wing.

  • Everything is drawn stowed, as in cruise. On landing the flaps, slats and spoilers all move.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a plane wing called?

The edges are the leading edge and the trailing edge, and the ends are the wing root and the wing tip. The moving surfaces are the slats, flaps, ailerons and spoilers. Inside are spars, ribs and stringers under the skin.

What are the flaps on a plane wing for?

Flaps are hinged sections on the rear of the wing, near the body. They are lowered on takeoff and landing to increase the force the wing produces.

What is the difference between flaps and ailerons?

Both are hinged to the rear edge of the wing. Flaps sit near the body and both sides go down together. Ailerons sit out near the tips and move in opposite directions to roll the airplane.

What is the tip of a plane wing called?

The wing tip. Many airliners have a winglet there, an upturned piece that reduces drag.

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