Answer: the central body portion of an airplane that holds the crew, passengers, and cargo.
Explanation: The word fuselage comes from the Latin fuses, or "spindle," which describes the shape of the central tube-shaped part of an airplane. Wings, tails, engines — these are all extra parts of the plane that attach to the fuselage. It is a long hollow tube which holds all the pieces of an airplane together. The fuselage is hollow to reduce weight. As with most other parts of the airplane, the shape of the fuselage is normally determined by the mission of the aircraft.
How is a fuselage made?
First, a series of formers in the shape of the fuselage cross sections are held in position on a rigid fixture. These formers are then joined with lightweight longitudinal elements called stringers. These are in turn covered with a skin of sheet aluminum, attached by riveting or by bonding with special adhesives.
