Aerospace Engineering

When most people think of airplanes, they envision large commercial airliners. Commercial airliners like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 are undoubtedly popular, but there are other types of airplanes in the skies, such as business jets. Also known as … Read More

Flight control surfaces play an important role in aviation. As their name suggests, they are surfaces that pilots can control to adjust an airplane’s altitude or trajectory. There are main flight control surfaces, such as ailerons, elevators and rudders, and … Read More

Have you heard of manifold pressure? The engine power of piston-driven airplanes can vary. Pilots may increase the engine power immediately after taking off to achieve cruising speed, or they may decrease engine power to slow down immediately before landing. … Read More

Airplanes have come a long way since the development of the Wright Flyer in 1903. They are now made with advanced materials like aerospace-grade aluminum and composites. Modern airplanes also boast advanced avionics, such as instrument landing systems. With an … Read More

If you’ve ever looked out the window at a major airport, you may notice markings on the runway. While there are different types of runway markings, threshold markings are arguably one of the most important. They help pilots touch down … Read More

Ever wonder how much fuel long-haul flights consume? There’s a strong correlation between fuel consumption of an airplane and flight length. The longer the flight length — the distance an airplane flies — the more fuel the airplane will consume. … Read More

Are you familiar with the life cycle of airplanes? At any given time, there are around 15,000 airplanes in the sky. Some of them are small, such as the Cessna 172. Others are large, such as the Airbus A380. Airplanes, … Read More

Flaps are a common feature of airplane wings. Located on the trailing edge, they are used to increase drag and lift. Flaps are hinged surfaces that pilots can control from the cockpit. By default, they are typically retracted so that … Read More

Contrary to common belief, airplanes aren’t designed with stiff and rigid wings; they are designed with flexible wings. When flying at cruising altitude, airplanes are exposed to significant stress. The wings must be able to withstand the stress. Otherwise, the … Read More