During a standard passenger flight, the aircraft air conditioner is responsible for providing a constant flow of fresh air that is at a comfortable temperature for passengers. Despite various rumors existing about aircraft air conditioning systems, fresh oxygen is constantly pumped into the cabin and air is thoroughly filtered to maintain a hygienic and microbe free cabin. As a modern marvel of aviation, learning how the aircraft air conditioning system functions can allow you to better understand how they are able to provide passengers with clean air at a comfortable temperature while traveling above 30,000 feet.

When thinking about an aircraft engine, we are often familiar with some of the basic components. We know of the combustion chamber, cylinders, and other various engine parts. Not often though are people aware of what houses all these parts together. The aircraft crankcase is the “house” or “body” of the engine, holding all the various engine parts that work together to provide flight. Beyond housing parts, the crankcase also contains the engine oil lubrication system containing lubrication assembly parts that keeps components clean and cool, and attaches the powerplant to the aircraft.

Having a robust fire protection and prevention system in place is important for any building, commercial or residential. Fires can do more harm than just to humans and animals; they can destroy personal belongings, damage or destroy buildings, and cost a lot in repairs. That is why automatic fire fighting methods in buildings are designed to put out fires before they have time to cause much damage, often before or immediately after combustion. In this blog, we will be discussing how fire systems and fire sprinklers work together to protect buildings, livelihoods, and all inbetween.

If you’re in the aviation industry, you may have heard the term “shroud.” The term alone refers to an object that obscures something from view. In the aeronautical industry, there are different types of shrouds that can be utilized for different functions, such as exhaust shrouds for carbon heat and cabin heat in light planes. But in this piece, we’ll discuss briefly the definition and functions of the most commonly used shroud in aircraft.

Whether an aircraft’s cockpit utilizes a steam gauge or is a modern glass panel, the functionality and principles of the airspeed indicator mostly remains the same. Airspeed indicators are critical to the operation of a flight, enabling pilots to maintain safe operating speeds through speed measurements. In this article, we will discuss how airspeed indicators function and how readings are made.

How does an aircraft maintain stability? What instruments and equipment are crucial for performing a controlled flight? These questions can be answered with a few pieces of technological equipment: the pitot-static system, airspeed indicator, and vertical speed indicator. These components are capable of providing the aircraft airspeed, altitude, and Mach number of a plane in flight, and relay this information to the pilots in the cockpit. Each one contributes to the overall safety and proper functioning of an aircraft.

With the increasing complexity of aircraft, the number of instrumentation systems in an aircraft is growing. Any instrumentation system helps the pilot fly the aircraft, be it with navigational information, or engine operating information.

Picture an aircraft: the wings, the tail, the cabin - visualize it flying overhead as it displays its prowess and heads for the open skies. Did the aircraft you imagined have straight wings? It is a common misconception that all aircraft wings that protrude straight out from the cabin, perpendicular from the plane itself. However, a swept wing is one that angles backwards from its root and points towards the tail of the aircraft.

Aircraft can be categorized based on a wide variety of factors; weight, size, shape, model, etc. The FAA offers class ratings which allow pilots to fly a certain group of aircraft that require similar training. There are seven categories of aircraft under the FAA’s class ratings. The different categories are airplane, rotorcraft, powered lift, glider, lighter than air, powered parachute, and weight-shift-control aircraft. One of the simplest categorizations is the difference between fixed and rotary wing aircraft. 

Modern aircraft have many vital components that allow them to perform amazing feats. And without the aircraft landing gear, nothing would be possible. The landing gear is the structure that supports the entire aircraft when on the ground. This means it requires very strong materials. Which is surprising, considering the fact that the first airplane the Wright Brothers made didn’t have wheels, but skids, and yet they took off and landed rather easily and safely. We’ve come a long way from skids though— with pontoons to land in water and skis to land snow or icy weather.