Aerospace Engineering

Ever notice how most airplanes have curved tips at the end of their wings? Known as winglets, they are a common feature of commercial jets. Boeing 737 jets and Airbus A320 jets, for instance, have winglets. Their wings aren’t completely … Read More

Ever wonder how an airplane’s center of gravity affects its stability? Regardless of size or shape, all objects have a center of gravity. It’s the point where the object’s weight is concentrated and, thus, acts as a balancing point. Like … Read More

Turbofans have revolutionized the aviation industry. Not to be confused with turbojets, turbofans now power nearly all commercial airliners. Most commercial airliners feature one or more turbofans. Turbofans are airbreathing jet engines with an air intake, combustion chamber and an … Read More

Have you heard of downwash? It’s an important concept in the aviation industry. From small single-engine airplanes like the Cessna 172 to jumbo-sized commercial jets like the A380, all airplanes rely on air movement to generate lift. As air moves … Read More

Ice formation is a common phenomenon with airplanes. As they ascend, airplanes are exposed to cooler air. The air temperature at 35,000 — the cruising altitude for most commercial airliners — is around minus 50 degrees to minus 60 degrees … Read More

Not all aircraft rely on lifting surfaces to generate lift. Some of them use rotating blades, instead. Known as rotorcraft, they play an important role in modern aviation. Rotorcraft include helicopters, gyroplanes and quadcopters. While there are nuances between them, … Read More

Landing gear is an essential part of nearly all airplanes. With the exception of seaplanes, most airplanes have wheel-based landing gear. It allows them to roll on the runway when taking off or landing. There are different types of landing … Read More

Airplanes are often categorized based on their purpose. There are passenger airplanes and cargo airplanes, for instance. While they both feature many of the same parts — fuselage, wings, tail assembly, landing gear, engines, etc. — they aren’t the same. … Read More

If you’ve ever watched airplanes taking off and landing at an airport, you may recall seeing numbers painted on the tail or the back of the fuselage near the tail. Known as tail numbers, they are essential identifiers in the … Read More