Definition

An aircraft electrical system is a self-contained network of components that generate, transmit, distribute, utilize, and store electrical energy.

General Description

An electrical system is an integral and essential component of all but the most simple of aircraft designs. The electrical system capacity and complexity vary tremendously between a light, piston-powered, single-engine general aviation aircraft and a modern, multi-engine commercial jet aircraft. However, the electrical system for aircraft at both ends of the complexity spectrum share many of the same basic components.