Aerospace Engineering

Landing gear assemblies consist of more than wheels and struts; many of them feature shimmy dampers as well. They are typically found on airplanes with tricycle-style landing gear where they prevent wheel oscillation. Here’s everything you need to know about … Read More

Sensors play an important role in modern aviation. A typical airplane has hundreds or even thousands of sensors, each of which collects valuable data. Among these sensors are total air temperature probes. The Basics of Total Air Temperature Probes Total … Read More

A typical airplane has hundreds of thousands or even millions of parts. While most people are familiar with major parts like the wings, tail and engines, smaller parts like breather vents often go unnoticed. Nonetheless, breather vents play an important … Read More

Do you know the difference between autopilot and flight director? In the early days of aviation, airplanes only featured manual controls. It wasn’t until 1912 when autopilot was invented, which automated many basic flight controls. In the 1950s, however, flight … Read More

Airplanes don’t stay at cruising altitude forever. Eventually, they must descend so that they can prepare to land. Top-of-descent points play an important role in this process. Air traffic controllers use it to maintain traffic flow, whereas commercial airlines use … Read More

If you’ve ever looked out the window while waiting at an airport, you may recall seeing numbers on the runways. Each runway is assigned a unique number. While some people assume these numbers are random, there’s actually a methodical system … Read More

Turboprops are one of the most common types of aircraft engines. Research shows they power about half of all short-range airplanes. Conventional jet engines like turbofans still dominate the long-range market, but many short-range airplanes use turboprops. Turboprops are gas … Read More

Ever wonder how anti-seize lube works for airplane spark plugs? It’s not uncommon for airplane spark plugs to feature a thin layer of anti-seize lube. Spark plugs, of course, aren’t limited to automobiles. Nearly all airplanes with reciprocating engines use … Read More

If you’ve ever observed commercial jets at a major airport, you may recall them sounding different during takeoffs and landings. Jet engines aren’t silent. At cruising altitude, they typically generate 80 to 90 decibels (dB) of in-cabin noise, which is … Read More