Definition
The structural housing at the forward end of a gas turbine engine's compressor section. It supports the front bearing of the compressor rotor, provides the mounting structure for the inlet guide vanes, and forms the airflow path into the first stage of the compressor.
Plain English
The metal frame at the very front of a jet engine's compressor. It holds the front bearing that the spinning compressor turns on, anchors the first set of stationary vanes that guide air into the engine, and shapes the path that air follows as it enters.
Context Anchor
Seen in turbine engine maintenance descriptions, engine diagrams, and inspection notes for the compressor inlet area.
Why Pilots Care
The front frame carries the front compressor bearing and the inlet guide vanes. Damage, cracks, or contamination here affects engine vibration, airflow into the compressor, and overall engine integrity, so it is a routine inspection point during turbine engine maintenance.
Grounding Statement
Picture looking into the front of a turbine engine: the compressor front frame is part of the strong structure around and inside that opening before the air moves deeper into the compressor.
Intuition Check
Do not read “front frame” as the front of the aircraft or the aircraft’s airframe. Here it means a support structure at the front of the engine compressor.
Example Sentence 1
During the inspection, the technician checked the compressor front frame for cracks around the inlet guide vane mounts.
Example Sentence 2
The compressor front frame also provides attachment points for the inlet guide vanes that direct air into the first compressor stage.