Though an often overlooked aspect of aircraft, exhaust systems play an essential role in both engine performance and environmental management. Consisting of multiple components that each serve a particular purpose, this vital system requires them to work together to accomplish goals successfully. In this blog, we will delve into the various essential components of an aircraft exhaust system, uncovering how each element functions and interacts harmoniously.
Aircraft engine mounts are critical components in aviation, providing the necessary support and stability for the engines that power aircraft. These mounts are designed to secure the engine to the airframe, ensuring safety, performance, and reliability. Understanding the role and importance of engine mounts can help aviation professionals and enthusiasts appreciate the complexities of aircraft design and maintenance, so read on as we discuss them further.
The complexities of aircraft engines often elicit wonder and curiosity among aviation enthusiasts and passengers alike. Behind the scenes, many meticulously designed components work harmoniously to propel aircraft through the skies. In this blog, we will delve into the inner workings of aircraft engines, exploring the essential parts and systems that contribute to their operation and performance.
Landing gear, an essential component of any aircraft, plays a pivotal role in ensuring safe takeoffs and landings. It encompasses a complex system of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical components, all working harmoniously to support the aircraft during these critical phases of flight. In this blog, we will delve into the fundamentals of landing gear, discussing its various components, functions, and why it holds such paramount importance in aviation.
Aircraft exterior lighting plays a crucial role in aviation, enhancing safety, visibility, and communication between aircraft and ground personnel. Overall, these lighting systems are designed to provide clear signals and improve visibility in various flight phases, from takeoff to landing. In this blog post, we will explore six essential types of aircraft exterior lighting, including beacon lights, strobe lights, navigation lights, landing lights, taxi lights, and the aircraft lighting system overall.
Fluids are a common element of aircraft operations, coming in the form of oil, coolants, refrigerants, air, and even combustion gasses. In order for all of these fluids to be efficiently and effectively handled, aircraft take advantage of tubes and hoses to route such substances to where they need to be. While tubes are generally rigid structures, hoses tend to be much more flexible with elastic materials for their construction. Since the two are regularly used alongside one another, it is essential that they can be connected securely without having any risk of leaking. In order to guarantee such security, components known as tube-to-hose adapter fittings are commonly used.
In addition to taking off and landing on the runway, aircraft must be able to maneuver on land for a number of reasons. Whether moving out of the way of oncoming traffic or pulling up to a certain position, aircraft must be able to safely move from one place to another. While using the engines as a power source is an obvious choice, this option is not always feasible. As such, aircraft may choose from a few options when traveling on the ground, those of which we will cover in detail in the following blog.
In its most basic form, measuring flight time can be achieved easily. Unfortunately, there are too many ways to go about it. However, of all the methods, the most misunderstood are Hobbs and tach time. Hobbs time is the time between an engine starting and stopping, whereas tach time consists of three components.
A shaft coupling is a mechanical element that is designed to join two shafts together to accommodate for the misalignment of torque from one end to the other. In mechanical systems, couplings are considered a type of permanent or temporary connection between two rotating shafts that connect the driving and driven shafts together. In simplistic terms, couplings are utilized to connect input and output shafts in any power transmission system. For example, a gearbox shaft in machine tools is connected to the input engine shaft via couplings, or an engine shaft can be connected to a pump or compressor shaft through couplings.
When you have a good computer, you can carry out your tasks with ease. Barebone computers in particular are incredibly reliable as these high-tech machines are specially constructed for high performance and high endurance jobs. In fact, they have become the go-to choice for professional gamers, big business industries, and IT and Networking sectors. However, many are unfamiliar with the complexity of barebone computers and often conflate them with standard PCs, but this is not the case.
When watching a commercial aircraft traverse the sky from the ground below, they can often look so tiny with how high they are in the atmosphere. On average, aircraft traverse at an altitude of 36,000 feet, placing themselves at a height that requires pressurized cabins to keep passengers safe and comfortable. With the extreme atmospheric temperatures, high pressure differences, and lack of breathable air at the altitude at which commercial airplanes fly, one may wonder why this is the standard. Despite all of this, flying at a height between 33,000 and 42,000 feet is actually highly beneficial, promoting fuel efficiency, hazard prevention, safety, and much more.
When dealing with various systems that handle substances such as liquids or gasses, it is always highly recommended that there are ample fail-safes in place to keep things in check if something goes wrong. For example, a safety valve is a common device in many applications dealing with substances, serving to manage materials or fluids for the means of preventing excessive levels of pressure or temperature. Depending on the criteria and requirements of a particular system, as well as any national standards, a variety of safety valves may be used.
Landing lights have been modernized in design to reduce energy consumption and overall costs. Typically used during takeoff and landing, pilots are expected to use these lights to make their aircraft more noticeable during routine procedures and while in crowded airspaces. However, in emergency situations where other means of communication have failed, landing lights can also be used to communicate with air traffic controllers and on-ground personnel. To better understand the purpose of landing lights, this blog will briefly highlight their uses, and how they help keep aircraft safe when in flight.
For many aerospace missions, the movement of the aircraft or the vibrations across certain systems threaten to disturb or displace parts that must be stabilized. The main solution employed to steady important parts is to use a fastener. The classic and most common type of fasteners used across bundling, blind fasteners, and fastening situations is the hook and loop model. Think of this style of fastener as the Velcro on shoes, with two tape strips designed to lay flat across one another and lock into place. Both strips have a flat surface which faces out and a textured surface to face the other’s matching surface. One of the textured surfaces is made of hundreds or thousands of tiny hooks in columns and rows. The other textured surface is made of columns and rows of corresponding loops. When the two surfaces are pushed together, the hooks catch in the loops in order to fasten together. While this model is highly efficient, it has certain drawbacks that have led to the innovation of the dual lock model in recent years.
The jet engine is the most technically complex element of modern aircraft and is considered by most to be the symbol that represents modern aviation. One such class of jet engines are turbine engines which derive energy from the pressure created by combusted gas. These engines contain two, often-confused, components called the compressor blade and turbine, those of which work hand in hand during regular operation. In this blog, we will highlight the function of both of these engine components and how their designs differ.
When one is working within an interior space where odors, moisture, contaminants, and other undesirable air quality conditions are present, it is important to have proper circulation for the health and comfort of those affected. This is often done with the use of an exhaust fan which vents out unwanted substances in the air so that an indoor space can remain hazard free. Exhaust blowers can be implemented in many ways, often being a part of a heating and cooling system. As long as the fan can be placed in a way that it can direct air outside to be dispersed and there are proper wires and cabling in place, such installations can be fairly easy to establish.
Blower motors play a critical role in forced-air systems, enabling the circulation of conditioned air throughout varying environments. As is the case with many complex apparatuses, blower motors are also susceptible to breakdowns or failure. Usually going unnoticed for a while, blower motor failure can put stress on the system’s compressor, shortening its service life as a result.
Sprockets are profiled wheels that are capable of meshing with a track, chain, or various other perforated materials, serving to transmit rotary motion between two shafts. Sprockets find use in numerous settings, often being a part of the pulleys, bicycles, tracked vehicles, and various machine assemblies. While sprockets are often compared to gears, they differ from such components in the fact that they never mesh directly with another sprocket. As there are many types of sprockets that one may procure, each of which may differ in their interaction, drive performance, and design, it is important to understand common variations and differences.
Thrust washers are a component that is found in various assemblies, and despite their name, they are actually a type of bearing rather than a washer. Their naming comes from the fact that their appearance is quite similar to that of washers, yet they are placed between a rotating and stationary component for the means of managing the placement of the rotating element as it brushes against the thrust washer. In this blog, we will briefly discuss the thrust washer, allowing you to better understand its design and roles.
Temperature sensors find countless uses in our daily lives, enabling the functionality of common devices such as thermometers, refrigerators, microwaves, and water heaters. Beyond domestic applications, temperature sensors also benefit the operations of geotechnical monitoring, aviation, medicine, manufacturing, and more. As basic instruments capable of measuring heat and cold as a numerical unit, temperature sensors are quite important for many applications and industries. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the functionality of temperature sensors and their types, allowing you to better understand how they function and how they are used.
A current sensor, or current transformer, is a device that is used to measure the current traveling through a wire by applying a magnetic field to detect current and produce a proportional output. These sensors are placed around a conductor and are typically used with AC and DC current. They are beneficial as they allow operators to measure current passively without interfering with the circuit. Additionally, current sensors are essential electrical instruments that can also provide information regarding how much energy is being used by a system to ensure energy-efficiency. In this blog, we will provide an overview of current sensors, their distinguishing characteristics, and how they work.
A part of the generation, transmission, and distribution process of electricity, substations are used to convert high to low voltage or low to high voltage when applicable. However, to limit current and prevent an overload of electricity to sensitive components, reactors are used as dampeners for a range of substations. Constructed in the shape of a coil or capacitor bank, reactors provide substations with additional support to mitigate a short circuit from an influx of current. To better understand the importance reactors play in helping to regulate power system safety, we will discuss their commonly applied types and how they function.
A relay is an electrically controlled switch composed of an electromagnet that is assisted by a spring-loaded changeover contact. Implemented when high power or voltage circuits need to be used in tandem with a low voltage circuit, such components also make it possible for circuits to reach galvanic isolation when needed. When deciding between relays, it is imperative that the device being chosen fits your systems circuitry and requirements. To achieve optimal results for whatever your intended relay needs may be, we will discuss the importance of relay systems and their various operational considerations for your ease of procurement.
As anywhere from eight thousand to twenty thousand aircraft navigate the skies at once, when on the ground and in need of maintenance, it is imperative that engineers and mechanics can swiftly identify the correct vehicle in need of inspection. For this purpose, every aircraft comes affixed with an exterior aerospace nameplate. As new mandates and federal regulations continue to emerge, it is critical that all aircraft remain up to date with all diverse specifications. With the inclusion of nameplates as a requirement, these items are an advantageous component often overlooked on most aircraft. Within this blog, we will discuss the importance of aircraft identification nameplates and why they are crucial to keeping employees, passengers, and organizations safe.
Aircraft primarily operate through the combustion of fuel-and-air mixtures, ensuring that enough thrust and propulsive force can be generated for the means of powered flight. Due to the ignition of fuel-and-air mixtures and the intense heat present in and around engines, it is highly important that there are measures in place to eliminate the hazard of uncontrolled ignitions of oxygen. As the aviation industry is highly regulated and always seeks to increase the safety of flight, engineers have designed robust oxygen gas sensors and tools that serve to protect aircraft and all on board.
If your first RC aircraft isn’t up to snuff, it can ruin your enjoyment of the hobby as a whole. Therefore, choosing the right one is critical. While there is no perfect beginner RC aircraft, there are several key factors to consider that will help you make the right decision. These five factors are aircraft type, material, power type, kit level, and channels. In this blog, we will discuss each one.
As computer technology has advanced, so too have the types of memory they use. One of the newer, faster versions of memory developed is DDR (Double Data Rate) memory. The main concept behind DDR memory is that, by applying a row address to the chip, a larger number of bits are accessible at the same time within the chip. There are two common types of DDR memory: DDR2 and DDR3. In this blog, we will discuss both types and the main differences between the two.
The aircraft autopilot system is a very important technology for safe and efficient flight, allowing for the vehicle to be guided without direct assistance from the pilot. While variations of the device may be found across differing aircraft models, most will include the same basic components, switches, and auxiliary units that enable them to function as intended. Generally speaking, there are four primary elements of the autopilot system, and these include sensing elements, the computing element, output elements, and command elements.
For a majority of aircraft to generate thrust and achieve flight, they rely on robust internal combustion engines that ignite fuel and air mixtures. In order for the combustion process to be efficiently and safely carried out, the aircraft ignition system relies on a specific component known as a spark plug. While small in size, the spark plugs in aircraft are paramount to their operation as ignition would not be possible without them. In this blog, we will discuss spark plugs and their most common types, allowing you to better understand how they are used in standard flight operations.
The Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) was introduced to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions and near mid-air collisions of aircraft. Separate from other standards, the TCAS serves as a last-resort safety measure. It is an aircraft system based on Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) transponder signals. The system operates by interroganding the Mode C and S transponders of nearby aircraft and then tracks their altitude and range, issuing alerts to the pilots as needed. Unfortunately, TCAS will not detect aircraft without transponders nor issue the warning of nearby traffic. It is also not linked to aircraft navigation, flight management systems, Air Traffic Control systems, or autopilot systems, instead working independently of these. While assessing potential threats, TCAS does not take into account ATC clearance, pilot intentions, or flight management system inputs.
A UAV, or unmanned aircraft vehicle, is an aircraft that is capable of carrying out flight operations without a pilot on board. Ranging from small quadcopter drones to advanced military surveillance aircraft, UAV systems can come in many forms and benefit a diverse set of applications and industries with their capabilities. As UAVs are becoming ever more present in consumer, commercial, and defense sectors alike, understanding their functionality and uses can be useful for anyone interested in them. In this blog, we will discuss what UAV systems are, their various types, and how they navigate without a pilot on board.
Like any machine, aircraft will inevitably encounter problems and require repairs. This can be complicated, as aircraft are highly intricate structures consisting of hundreds of systems. The more systems there are, the more there is that can go wrong. Repairs can take hours, days, or even weeks. Getting an aircraft back in flight quickly is a top priority, but more important is getting the aircraft back in flight safely. As such, aircraft are not only designed to be able to fly with a single defect, but with many. This blog will explain how operators keep track of faults as well as how to know which aircraft are safe and which are not.
The exhaust system of an aircraft performs many crucial functions, ranging from enhancing the performance of the engine to contributing to the smooth and efficient operation of the aircraft as a whole. The aircraft exhaust system is critical to safety, and a failure can result in dangerous consequences. Not only is a failed system a serious fire hazard, it could also lead to a partial or total loss of engine power. In addition to these, it can also cause serious problems such as carbon monoxide poisoning and engine backfire. Fortunately, all of these problems can be avoided through proper maintenance and awareness of the early warning signs of deterioration.
When building a computer or replacing parts, it is important to understand the difference between various components and what they do. One crucial concept that those working with computers should be aware of when purchasing parts is the distinction between primary and secondary memory. It is also useful to be aware of the various types of storage that fall under the two categories such as ROM, RAM, hard disk drives, solid state drives, and more. In this blog, we will discuss the differences between primary and secondary computer memory as well as the common memory options that are available for use.
Aircraft fuel efficiency is a measurement describing an aircraft’s ability to travel on one gallon of fuel, and it is a facet that many engineers constantly seek to improve. There are many benefits to realizing more fuel efficient planes, including combating climate change and advancing the cost-efficiency of flight. As aviation sectors continue to see growth, engineers and manufacturers seek ways to improve aircraft fuel consumption, and their efforts have led them to the development of various technologies, materials, and designs to cut down on CO2 production and realize the most fuel efficient aircraft.
The primary capacity of an electrical framework is to create, direct, and disperse power all through the plane. The aircraft electrical power is straightforwardly associated with the dependability of electrical frameworks and subsystems. Generally, airplane electrical frameworks use both AC and DC power. For more information on the aircraft electrical power distribution system, read on below for more details.
When constructing an aircraft and its various technologies, aircraft fasteners are some of the most critical components for assembly. Fasteners are hardware elements that are used to secure two or more components together, affixing them either permanently or non-permanently. Within the realm of aviation, fasteners are used to secure the outer skin, join sections of spars, secure ribs, attach fixings, and much more. In this blog, we will discuss some of the main aviation fasteners, as well as how they are used on a typical aircraft.
As aircraft continue to modernize with advanced glass cockpits and improved avionics, more and more components are reliant on the aircraft electrical system. While early aircraft may have been entirely non-reliant on electrical generation, current aircraft rely on powering for navigation, COM and NAV radios, intercoms, in-flight entertainment, and more. From batteries to circuit breakers, there are many aircraft electrical system components that work together to provide powering of the aircraft.
In the realm of aviation, gas turbine engines and components are what provide many aircraft with the capability of flight. Procuring and maintaining gas turbines can be an expensive endeavor, encompassing fuel costs, inspections, maintenance, and other normal expenditures that come about over the course of operation. With a proper air filtration system, the cost of gas turbine operations can be reduced, making them a very beneficial investment for any owner or airline utilizing a gas turbine aircraft. In this article, we will discuss gas turbine air filtration systems and how they may benefit gas turbine components and costs.
While some may be familiar with flight simulation as those that run on personal computers and are controlled with a joystick, a full motion flight simulator used by the aerospace industry is much more robust and advanced. These simulators are for the training and maintaining of pilot skills, and they are designed to closely represent the aircraft that they are modeled after, even having a motion system and acoustic design to make the experience as genuine as possible. In this article, we will provide an overview of current flight simulator technology, and how it aids pilots in learning how to properly fly.
From small passenger planes to military helicopters, there are many powered flying machines we utilize, all relying on various fuel systems for operation. While different vehicles and manufacturers may differ in their installed engine fuel system components, all have the same goal of powering an engine with fuel for sustained flight. In this blog, we will provide a basic overview of some of the common aviation fueling systems present across vehicles.
Runway surface friction is expressed as the coefficient of friction; that is the ratio of the friction force (F) between two surfaces that make contact and the normal force (N) which exists between an object resting on the surface -- and the surface itself i.e. F/N. Many factors can affect this ratio such as the physical characteristics of two surfaces, the prevailing temperature at the point of contact, aircraft wheel and brake systems, and the speed of movement of the object (tire) over the surface.
Like all other powered aircraft, helicopters rely on engines to generate the power they use to achieve flight. Helicopters use two different types of engines, reciprocating and turbine, to do so. Reciprocating engines, or piston engines, are typically used in smaller helicopters, such as trainers, because they are relatively simple to operate and inexpensive to maintain. Turbine engines are used in a wider variety of helicopters, and are more powerful. However, they are also more expensive to operate. In this blog, we’ll explore just how these two types of engines work.
Lubricant plays an important role in preventing unnecessary wear and tear of important aircraft components. In machinery as complex as aircraft engines, friction between moving parts can quickly become detrimental. Lubricant’s role is to form an oil film over metal surfaces so that metallic friction is replaced by fluid friction of the lubricant. Oil is pumped throughout the engine to any area where friction occurs. The process of moving oil around takes energy and creates hear, but the reduction of friction resulting from the process is beneficial to the engine overall.
Reciprocating engines, or aircraft piston engines, are one of the most important parts of aircraft for their general functionality. Often, these engines are mounted to the aircraft using welded steel tubing mount structures and incorporate engine mount rings, v-struts, and fittings for attachment of the mount to the nacelle by means of steel bolts that are heat treated.
Jet pilots are exposed to many stresses when in the cockpit seat from things like hypoxia or cabin pressure when they take flight. With each risk, manufacturers and engineers have constructed solutions to combat these risks and mitigate discomfort caused by them. Thermal stress in the cockpit is one of the most predominant issues. While the aircraft does have an environmental control system, temperatures, especially in tropical areas can still rise inside the cockpit, and have been recorded to exceed 113 F.
There are several working parts to an aircraft, each of which play an important role in making the plane operational. One of the more complex and interesting of these is the rudder parts. Used and found in submarines, ships, hovercrafts and aircrafts, the rudder serves the primary purpose of controlling curving movement through fluid mediums like air or water.
Internal combustion engines naturally generate heat in the cylinders as part of the combustion process. Most of that heat escapes the cylinders in the form of hot exhaust gas, but some also escapes through conduction across its walls. Most metal conducts this heat to radiate out into the atmosphere, but there is a limit to how much a metal can radiate heat based on its surface area. If the heat radiated outside the cylinder is much less than what is left inside, the engine can overheat. Overheating can result in uneven thermal expansion of parts, corrosion, and thermal stress, all of which can lead to mechanical failure.
There’s always that friend who claims that they have an expert sense of direction. Luckily, not all pilots need to have an intuitive sense of north and south, to fly an aircraft to its destination. There are a series of protocols and navigational instruments that help the pilot pinpoint the aircraft’s exact destination, and their progress along the flight path.
Automotive aftermarket parts refer to the secondary market of the automotive industry. This includes the manufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of vehicle parts, chemicals, equipment, and accessories after the sale of the automobile by the original equipment manufacturer (or OEM) to the consumer. These parts and accessories may not be manufactured by the OEM.
When it comes to aviation, a six-pack doesn’t refer to a pack of beer cans, or a ripped set of abs. In an aircraft, the six pack is the six primary flight instruments in the aircraft’s cockpit that relay the most critical pieces of information about flight characteristics. The six pack is broken into two categories: three instruments that rely on pitot static systems, and three gyroscopic systems.
A gyroscope flight instrument is a disk, or wheel, mounted on an instrument that is designed to measure angular velocity by utilizing the principle of gyroscopic inertia. Once the wheel has been accelerated, its inertia keeps the disc stable about its axis of rotation. When the instrument is level in flight, a deviation in flight path will move the gyroscopic wheel in its gimbal mount. This movement is then translated to a needle, or card, on the instruments face. Pilots use a gyroscopic attitude indicator, a directional gyroscope, and turn indicators for navigation purposes.
There are several basic flight instruments located in the cockpit - they may be traditional physical instruments, or digitized. When a pilot gets their Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) rating, they are required to pilot the aircraft based on the information displayed on these instruments. Some of the indispensable instruments are the airspeed indicator, altimeter, attitude indicator, heading indicator, turn coordinator, and vertical speed indicator. They can be categorized based on corresponding systems that relay proper information to the instruments: the pitot-static system, the vacuum system, gyroscopic instruments, and the magnetic compass.
Sitting in the aircraft cockpit of an aircraft can be intimidating to a newbie. There are a ton of instruments and communication equipment and one might wonder where to start. Most pilots start off by learning about the six basic aircraft cockpit instruments that are in every aircraft: the airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, direction indicator, and the vertical speed indicator.
It’s a little surprising, but the more civil aviation becomes to GPS navigation, the more national security has to “degrade” GPS signals to prepare the military to meet new threats. The competing objectives of civil aviation and national security have, consequently, led to a decrease in flight safety.
Aircraft Altimeters are one of the six basic cockpit instruments that a pilot references during flight. Simple and basic, the altimeter’s purpose is to inform the pilot what altitude the aircraft is flying at. While newer altimeters are computerized and use high-tech sensors to detect the altitude, traditional altimeters measure the altitude by analyzing atmospheric pressure and comparing it to a preset value that the pilot or engineer has previously inputted.
Engines, whether for automobiles or for aircraft, are powerful but delicate pieces of machinery. They have to be properly supported and attached securely to the frame of the vehicle. In the case of both automobiles and aircraft, the engines are supported by engine mounts.
The mechanics of flight are fascinating. To get a several hundred ton metal structure in the air and remain airborne, all you need is to go fast enough to get sufficient airflow over and under the wings to generate lift. To initiate a turn, you bank or roll at an angle one direction or the other. And to climb or descend, you have to change the pitch.
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