Aerospace Unlimited Blog - By Page 3

As we continue to move through these unprecedented times during the COVID-19 pandemic, more United States manufacturers are stepping up to aid in the supply shortage of ventilators and masks that are desperately needed by medical professionals and other affected sectors. Leading into June, car manufacturer Ford has joined companies such as 3M and General Electric to aid the medical community in this initiative.

Within a plumbing or fluid system, valves are important components that are implemented to regulate, control, and direct the flow of fluids within the system. Solenoid valves are a special type of valve that is operated electromechanically, and they may perform many of the same functions of a standard valve automatically. With various types available that offer diverse sets of capabilities, solenoid operated valves may benefit a number of plants, equipment, and applications. In this blog, we will discuss the functionality of solenoid valves, as well as the applications that they benefit.

Aircraft ground support equipment (GSE) refers to the equipment and components that are used to provide servicing and operations for aircraft in-between flights while they are grounded. GSE components and equipment may be used for aircraft mobility, loading operations, ground power operations, and other operations as needed. As commercial aircraft and airliners adhere to strict flight schedules, the efficiency and speed of aircraft ground support services is always a facet that providers strive to improve in order to minimize turnaround times. Over the forecast period of 2019 to 2025, the market for aircraft ground support equipment is expected to increase by $2.2 billion, equaling a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.45%. Altogether, this forecast puts the total market value at $9.7 billion by 2025. From technological advancements of GSE equipment to steadily increasing passenger air traffic, many factors contribute to this upwards growth. In this blog, we will discuss how ground support equipment aids in aircraft servicing, as well as the factors contributing to the market growth for the 2019-2025 forecast period.

Within the realm of aviation, landing gear proves to be one of the most important systems of the entire aircraft. Through the many aircraft landing gear components working together, an aircraft is able to touch ground and come to a stop safely and efficiently, avoiding damages. This is due to their specifically engineered designs that are in place to meet various requirements of weight, size, performance, and beyond as per FAA regulations. In this blog, we will discuss the aircraft landing gear system and how it helps bring an aircraft safely to a stop after flight.

PMA stands for Parts Manufacturer Approval. This approval is what allows for manufacturers to produce and sell articles for installation on type certification products. The approval can only be given by the United States Federal Aviation Administration. Simply put, the FAA is required to utilize the PMA process to greenlight the design and manufacturing of certain aviation and aerospace parts. Designing, manufacturing, distributing and operating with such a part that has not gone through the approval process is illegal and subject to severe punishments. For more information on how the PMA process works, you can read more about it in the article below.

Aircraft wings are airfoils that attach to the body of an aircraft at different angles and shapes to create lift and sustain flight. Different wing configurations provide variant flight characteristics like the amount of lift generated, the level of control at different operating speeds, aircraft stability and flight balance. Aircraft Wings may be attached at the bottom, mid or top of the fuselage. The wing tip can be pointed, rounded or square and the wing can extend out from the fuselage perpendicularly , angled down or slightly up. The angle at which a wing extends out from the fuselage’s horizontal state is called the dihedral angle and this affects an aircraft’s lateral stability.

Aircraft are defined by their wings. The shape, size, and configuration will affect all aspects of an aircraft’s performance and specifications. Wings are airfoils, shapes designed to create lift when moving rapidly through the air. This lift, combined with the thrust generated by the aircraft engine's or engines, is what allows an aircraft to fly.

RC helicopters have been a fairly popular hobby for many for a long time. They allow many to simulate what it is like to fly a real helicopter and can provide much enjoyment. While the complexities of an RC helicopter may be much less than their real counterpart, there are similar components and controls. For the purpose of an RC helicopter, there are five main components which are the main and tail rotors, swashplates, cyclical control, and collective control.

A helicopter is a type of rotary aircraft in which thrust and lift are achieved through the use of spinning rotors. This allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically and hover at a fixed altitude. Despite helicopters being far smaller than most airplanes, the rapidly-spinning rotors make it very hard to control. Each helicopter is made of five main parts: the cockpit, main rotor, tail rotor, landing gear, and engine. This blog will explain each of the five main parts in further detail.

A rough look at history will show you that it took humanity more than 10,000 years to invent flying machinery. Yet it was only 66 years later in 1969 that humanity accomplished aeronautical aviation and landed a human on the moon. This goes to show that the more we discover and create, the faster it enables our world to grow. You need only look at these recent years to see that technology is advancing at a rapid pace and the next years are sure to unveil amazing advancements in flight. Read on below for some new concepts emerging in the aviation industry.

Every airport, from the largest international to the smallest regional, needs ground service equipment to support and operate fleets of aircraft flying in and out of it. Ground service equipment needs to be regulated, however, so that crews always know what they are dealing with, no matter where in the world they are. Over four decades, standards for GSE have evolved, culminating in the international standards that are applied worldwide.

The NSN system can be dated back to the WWII era when the military would use a specific component that had several different names depending on who supplied or manufactured the component. This made it difficult for the military to locate suppliers, or share items between the different organizational branches. An item could be in short supply in one location, but in surplus in another. To overcome this sourcing issue, the Department of Defense created the NSN system. National Stock Numbers or NSNs, are 13-digit serial numbers assigned to all standardized items within the federal supply chain. All components that are used by the U.S Department of Defense are required to have an NSN, the purpose of which is to provide a standardized naming of components.

Exciting news from Honeywell about the iconic T55 turboshaft engine surfaced in mid-April. A pair of T55 engines powered a Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 DEFIANT in a Vertical Lift demonstration intending to revolutionize the U.S. Army Aviation branch.

After a plane has been decommissioned it ends up in a dusty parking lot known as a “boneyard.” A boneyard is a massive field that houses aircraft that can no longer fly, where the parts that are still functioning are recycled, or often times, resold. A plane that has been deemed too old to fly can still have a large amount of value. These boneyards may not be spectacular, but they are a heavy contributor into the industry that comprises an “after life” ecosystem. One that spans from hedge funds to specialized recycling firms.  

Aching legs, weird humming noises, squeezing past other people to get to the restroom— these discomforts describe the features of a bad aircraft seat, and rest assured, we’ve all been there. So, where is the best place to sit on an airplane? Is it worth it to pay for your seat, or to sit by your device 24 hours after booking your flight to get that “A” boarding pass? We’ll lay out all the facts using the example of a widebody aircraft so that you can make your decision with ease.

Have you ever wondered why some aircraft have a structure at the end of the wing that stick up? They may seem counterintuitive when comparing it to the lift to the force produced by a vertical wing. However, they make a lot more sense than you think. These wing structures reduce weight and drag, and increase lift and efficiency. They were created after fuel costs started skyrocketing in the 1970s and have been one of the most effective technologies to increase fuel-efficiency since.

“Aircraft engine failure” is one of the most unsettling phrases in the aviation community. Failures of aircraft engine can be caused by a multitude of different parts malfunctions, and/or pilot error. The statistics on the frequency of aircraft engine failures are sparse and convoluted. However, for commercial air travel, most modern twin engine passenger jets are designed to function safely even if one engine fails. Engine failure as a result of part malfunction seems to differ between the type of engine. So, let’s take a look at an industry standard—turbine engine failure.

A printed circuit board electronically and mechanically connects electrical components using special conductive tracks. These features are etched into copper and laminated onto or in between sheet layers of nonconductive substrates. Printed circuit board layouts are extremely important in circuit design processes because the layout determines how a circuit will work— including its reliability and performance. 

The Rolls Royce Trent 500 engine is a complex piece of machinery that is the operating force behind Airbus’ A340, -500, and -600.  Its design was based off the RB211 line of three-shaft engines, which has consistently proven to be a reliable engine model.

The Airbus Group A380 production is a massive undertaking, assembled in Jean Luc Lagardere Plant, which is in at Toulouse Blagnac Airport located in France. The parts are shipped from all over Europe to be assembles at the plant and sent for orders. The aircraft wings are made in Wales, the rear fuselage is made in Hamburg along with the vertical tail fin, the forward and center fuselage are made in France, the horizontal tail is made in Spain.