The component of an aircraft that provides the payload containment and the structural connection for the wing and the empennage (tail assembly). The fuselage and the wing are major structural components of an aircraft. The fuselage is the mounting structure for the horizontal and tail surfaces that provides stability as well as the means of introducing pitch and yaw control to the aircraft. For some aircraft like fighter and private aircraft, the fuselage houses the engine or engines. The nose or tail gear and the main landing gear are often attached to the fuselage structure.

The history of the construction of aircraft fuselages has evolved through the early wood truss structural arrangements to the current metal semi-monocoque shell structures. A majority of aircraft fuselages are fabricated from aluminum alloys and are produced by a process of automatic machining of the skins and stringers (see illustration), with much of the assembly being done by automatic drilling, countersinking, and fastener installation. In some areas, adhesive bonding is used as a means of attaching doublers to reinforce skin panels. In many of the high-performance aircraft, such as fighters and bombers, extensive use is made of titanium and high-strength steel. See also Airframe.