For all their complexity, the principles that guide an aircraft’s design are fairly simple to understand. All aircraft, no matter how esoteric they may seem, are designed around three basic principles: lift, thrust, and control.

When an aircraft designer is choosing a wing, they not only have to take into consideration the aerodynamic factors but also the cost of manufacturing, weight, and maintainability. Manufacturers have assorted budgets and design aircraft with different operating requirements, so they have to weigh the pros and cons of opposing factors. For example, a defense aircraft will focus more on speed and maneuverability, while airliners will focus more on range, comfort, and efficiency. Airliners can utilize higher aspect ratios— span divided by the mean chord— to increase lift and support higher loads; however, fighters will have lower aspect ratios to reduce drag and increase maneuverability. As such, when choosing the optimal aircraft wing, an engineer must consider a few factors such as airfoil selection, wing planform, and wing configuration.

Russia has recently signed a contract that showcases its design plans for Russia’s first gas engine in the 75,000-pound thrust power class. The contract, endowed by the Russian government, was put into effect on January 19th, of this year. The engine will be used for military purposes and will be crafted by United Engine-Avadvigatel. They have until 2023 to deliver on their contract and the engine must contain top of the line features, like wide-chord composite fan blades and a new and improved fan case, as well as an improved cooling system.

The United States Army recently took the first steps into obtaining thirty-five more UH-72 Lakota Helicopters. The army is looking to secure a contract with Airbus, the manufacturer of the UH-72. Airbus is the sole owner of the technical data on the UH-72, which means potential competitors are non-existent. For anyone else to produce UH-72 parts, data will have to be acquired and approved by the OEM. Airbus has delivered over 400 UH-72’s to the army since 2006, it is the only aircraft the army can use that has an airworthiness certificate by design. By placing this large order, the army is keeping the Airbus factory busy and keep jobs in place. The army will need these helicopters to keep their fleet up to date.

GE Aviation and Praxair have created a latest Aerospace Coating facility located in Ellisville, Mississippi. Creating such as high-tech facility has enabled for these companies to be able to meet customer expectations for years to come. With the integration of the latest building the parts that will be procured from this location will be distributed for more over 400 airline customers worldwide.