The exchange of ideas is essential to everyone, regardless of his or her vocation or position. This exchange is usually carried on by oral or written word; but under some conditions, the use of these alone is impractical.
The aviation industry discovered that it could not depend entirely upon written or spoken words for the exchange of ideas, because misunderstanding and misinterpretation arose frequently. A written description of an object can be changed in meaning just by misplacing a comma, and the meaning of an oral description can be completely changed by using a wrong word. To avoid these possible errors, drawings are used to describe objects. For this reason, drawing is the draftsman’s language.
Drawing, in the aviation industry, is a method of conveying ideas concerning the construction or assembly of objects. This is done with the help of lines, notes, abbreviations, and symbols. It is important that the aviation mechanic who is to make or assemble the object understands the meaning of the different lines, notes, abbreviations, and symbols that are used in a drawing.
Typically, all aircraft factories have a drawing room manual that details all lines, symbols , and conventions used by that company. However, in an effort to establish an industry standard, applications for aircraft drawings have been standardized.
Before you can properly interpret drawings, you must first become familiar with the types of lines used to illustrate various concepts. Different line widths , arrowheads , and alternating breaks in lines all identify specific things . Once you understand the various aspects of aircraft drawings you will be ready to begin sketching parts and repairs on your own.