Inside a jet engine
Follow the air from intake to exhaust.
Follow the main stages of a gas turbine and explain how its parts work together.
Follow the air.
A simplified gas-turbine sequence. Select a stage to explore what it does.
Intake
Air enters the engine.
A continuous flow
A gas turbine takes in air, compresses it, adds fuel and burns the mixture. Hot gas expands through a turbine and exits through the exhaust.
Powering the cycle
The turbine extracts energy to drive the compressor. In a turbofan, a fan moves a large stream of air around the engine core. The accelerated air contributes to thrust.
A different way to fly
A piston engine drives a propeller, which accelerates air too. The mechanisms differ, but thrust still comes from exchanging momentum with the surrounding air.
Ready for a knowledge check?
Try a related five-question challenge with explanations after every answer.
Test your understandingHow do pilots find their way?
Sample lesson · Editorial review pending. Educational introduction, not flight instruction.
Further reading: FAA handbook