dark light

Aircraft Parts Named After Ship Parts?

Sorry if this has been done before (I did a search) but can anybody think of parts of an aircraft that are named after parts of a ship with a similar purpose?

I know there will be lots of nautical terms to do with navigation: pilot, course, knots, steer, port, starboard and so on but I was really after parts of the aircraft itself.

So far I’ve only come up with: cockpit, rudder and (wing) spar but there must be more?

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

3,400

Send private message

By: Nashio966 - 31st March 2025 at 14:07

“turret” or am i grasping at straws? :diablo:

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

179

Send private message

By: racer2_uk - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Propeller !

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

251

Send private message

By: Frazer Nash - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Bulkhead springs to mind.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

518

Send private message

By: wl745 - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

nautical

Rudder,Arial mast, punkah louvre,port & starboard,compass(!)captain,navigator sextant,chart ,hull as in flying boat and many more on those!!

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

251

Send private message

By: Frazer Nash - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Ah yes, the flying boats: galley, beaching gear…..

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,720

Send private message

By: D1566 - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Propeller shaft (think P39 etc) :diablo:

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,411

Send private message

By: Mondariz - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Not really a part, but aviation has adapted the distinctly maritime ”starboard” and” port”. For English speakers it might not sound very maritime, but “starboard” comes from the Norse word “stýriborð” (in modern Danish it’s called Styrbord), meaning the steering side: styr is steering and bord is the side of a ship – Vikings used to steer their longboats from the right hand side, not from the middle like a rudder.

“Port” is a bit more obscure. It comes from “larboard”, which is the docking side of the ship (you can’t dock a longboat at starboard, as the oar will get in the way). It was later changed to the simple “port”, as starboard and larboard sounds too much alike.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

7,315

Send private message

By: bazv - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Plimsoll Mark 😀
On a certain 115 sqn Argosy !! :D:diablo:

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

100,651

Send private message

By: Arabella-Cox - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

i’m sure flange and gusset are naval terminology

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

7,315

Send private message

By: bazv - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Pintle Pin…u/c leg hinge pin.
Ships had Rudder Pintles !!

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

741

Send private message

By: bloodnok - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Some aircraft have chines, so do some ships. Aircraft also have waterlines, as do ships.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

141

Send private message

By: Livewirex - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

How about a Cabin and a Bunk?

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

2,488

Send private message

By: RPSmith - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Probably not what you meant, but Capstan (as in Slingsby glider)

Ropger Smith.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

9,672

Send private message

By: pagen01 - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

You sometimes see hull used to describe the bulk of a fusalage.

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

554

Send private message

By: davecurnock - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Golden rivet?:D

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

2,313

Send private message

By: John Aeroclub - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Propwash, Keelson (flying boats), turnbuckles, mast(aerial) rigging, spars, decking as in top of fuselage and ribs,

John

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,284

Send private message

By: Smith - 31st March 2025 at 14:06

Not really a part, but aviation has adapted the distinctly maritime ”starboard” and” port”. For English speakers it might not sound very maritime, but “starboard” comes from the Norse word “stýriborð” (in modern Danish it’s called Styrbord), meaning the steering side: styr is steering and bord is the side of a ship – Vikings used to steer their longboats from the right hand side, not from the middle like a rudder.

“Port” is a bit more obscure. It comes from “larboard”, which is the docking side of the ship (you can’t dock a longboat at starboard, as the oar will get in the way). It was later changed to the simple “port”, as starboard and larboard sounds too much alike.

Fascinating … thank you Mondariz

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,493

Send private message

By: Lindy's Lad - 31st March 2025 at 14:05

Keel (beam) on larger aircraft…

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

1,652

Send private message

By: mark_pilkington - 31st March 2025 at 14:05

.
hmmmm “windscreen”?? yachts have those too, along with a cockpit!

“sacrificial anode”, I think some metal aircraft have had those????

Every modern airliner has had a “Galley”! They also carry “stewards” or “stewardess”‘, “purser”and a “Captain” and “Navigator”, as do a passenger ship, both have a “crew” and “passengers” and in the past some aircraft even had a “cabin”, both have “toilets” and “sickbags”!

A ship sometimes needs a “pilot” to assist the captain, whereas an aircraft normally has a “pilot” as the captain – smiles.

In the past aircraft carried “sextants” and still carry “compasses”!

aircraft and ships both have “cargo holds”

an aircraft and ship can have a “datum line” and a “C of G”, and both can “pitch” and “roll”.

you can have a “sail” boat and a “sail” plane!

you can have an “air” boat, and a “flying” boat but although similar sounding they are not the same – smiles

Military ships can have “guns”, “cannons”, “cruise missiles”, carry “torpedos” and “depth charges” and in the past or present so have Military aircraft.

“fin” – no thats a fish not a ship smiles!

“dorsal” ?? no thats a fish too!

“stuffed motor” on an aircraft = “boat anchor” – now thats a ship!!!

smiles

Mark Pilkington

Member for:

19 years 1 month

Posts:

784

Send private message

By: Bomberboy - 31st March 2025 at 14:05

Ship itself is a reference word for both.
Craft is another.

Lindy’s Lad made reference with Keel & Beam, but the keel is the theoretical bottom spine of the water going vessel whereas beam refers to ‘something’ else on a level to either the port or starboard quarters and generally distant (near or far), from either an aircraft or ship… not near the bottom of an aircraft.

I would suspect turret is a reference far older than used in context for either ships or aircraft are concerned, as turrets are constructed on castles and stately homes and the like etc etc, so turret may have more in common with the fact that they generally contain weapons and the like.

A lot of aeroplanes land at airPORTS and so port also applies.
Planes generally fly towards ‘headings’

Bomberboy

1 2 3 4
Sign in to post a reply