Metal Birds, Part 1

Metal Birds, Part 1

Metal Birds, Part 1
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.94

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		aeronautics, aeroplane, airfoil, biplane, duct-type, empennage, fuselage, gas-turbine, internal-combustion, liquid-cooled, movable, propulsion, stability, stabilizer, turbojet, understructure
	content words:		Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Wright Brothers, World War II, Disney World, In Metal Birds

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Metal Birds, Part 1
By Trista L. Pollard

¹     Everyday across the world, birds fill our skies as they fly to their desired destinations. Some of these birds have feathers, while others are made of heavy metal sheets. These "metal birds" have come a long way since Orville and Wilbur Wright's heavier-than-air craft was set loose at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. Their first flight only lasted 12 seconds, but their later attempts that same day lasted a little longer. The Wright Brothers worked with a biplane or a plane with two supporting wings. Their work has made it possible for others to perfect their design and to produce passenger aircraft, jet planes, and helicopters. In this article, we will explore the passenger airplane. So fasten your seat belts because we have some exploring to do.

²     Airplane (also aeroplane and aircraft) is defined as a heavier-than-air vehicle. Airplanes are mechanically driven and have fixed wings that help to support it in flight. This support is aided by the dynamic action of the air. Airplanes have six main parts called the fuselage, wings, stabilizer, rudder, engine or engines, and landing gear.

³     The fuselage is the main body of the airplane. This area of the plane contains the control equipment and space for passengers and cargo. The main support surfaces of the plane are the wings. Planes today are known as monoplanes because they have only one wing. The wings may be high, midway, or low on the fuselage. On the trailing edge of the wings the ailerons (ay` ler onz) are located. The trailing edge is the rear edge of the wing. The ailerons are hinged movable surfaces that help to control the turning of the airplane.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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