Aerospace, Aviation and Connectors Blog - page 5

For aircraft construction, bearings and seals are almost always utilized in rotating or rolling components. Bearings are utilized to constrain movement to specific motions and axes, and work to reduce the friction between moving components. Bearings can also work to disperse stress of the component loads. Seals on the other hand, help prevent contamination, such as dirt, from entering the bearing gaps, as well as encases bearing lubricant inside. So what are some examples of the types of bearings and seals that can be used? Read more >>

Turbojet engines are truly fascinating pieces of machinery. An array of tiny, individual pieces combine to form something greater than the sum of its parts. While it would be irresponsible to imply that they are simple machines, when you break down a turbojet engine, they are surprisingly easy to understand. Turbojet engines consist of just five primary components. These are the intake, compressor, combustion chamber, turbine, and exhaust. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

Aircraft classification is essential for regulatory compliance, pilot training, and operational purposes. While aircraft can be categorized by a variety of characteristics, such as size, weight, or general use, one of the most fundamental distinctions lies in the type of wing structure they employ. Across aircraft, fixed and rotary wing designs are the two distinct options, both providing distinct capabilities, advantages, drawbacks, and other features that drive their use in separate applications. Read more >>

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. Read more >>

Microminiature connectors offer high performance and reliability with remarkable versatility on par with their “standard” counterparts. They’re used in the aerospace, computer systems, defense, medical, and network industries and come in different configurations such as rectangular, circular, and strip. ITT Cannon, a leading manufacturer of microminiature connectors, boasts the broadest selections of micro interconnect solutions, beginning with the MDM, MDM PCB, MDMH, TMDM, MJS, MIK, and MIKQ. Read more >>

Fasteners are pretty standard and common pieces of hardware, used in almost every aerospace and aviation application possible. However, because of the delicate and critical nature of these industries, sometimes fasteners, as they are, aren’t enough. Heat-treating allows manufacturers to alter fasteners in order to achieve the desired level of rigidity, smoothness, malleability, and strength to suit their client’s needs. So, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when heat-treating fasteners. Read more >>

There are diverse types of fasteners obtainable for practical use in countless industries and they vary in dimension, longevity, robustness, pull out strength, shear capacity and numerous other factors that go into manufacturing a specific type of fastener for certain equipment. The aviation industry makes use of parts that meet the safety quality level proposed by the relevant body, and in order to position those parts firmly to endure a large amount of stress, the fasteners such as aircraft nuts and bolts are essential. Read more >>