Aerospace Engineering

If you’ve ever peeked into the cockpit of a helicopter, you may have noticed that it didn’t have a yoke or side stick. Yokes and side sticks are found in airplanes. Helicopters, on the other hand, have a cyclic. What … Read More

Fuses play an important role in electrical systems. Consisting of a small conductive core encapsulated in a nonconductive material, they protect electrical devices from overcurrent. You can find fuses in homes, buildings, cars, appliances, solar panels, high-voltage systems and even … Read More

Yokes have been around since the early days of aviation. Consisting of a U-shaped control wheel, it allows pilots to adjust an airplane’s roll and pitch. Pilots can tilt the yoke forward, backward and side to side. Yokes allow for … Read More

Modern airplanes are constructed with more than just nuts and bolts. In addition to traditional fasteners such as these, they often feature lock bolts. Lock bolts are two-piece fasteners consisting of a pin and collar. The pin is a bolt-like … Read More

Landing an airplane requires extreme precision. A typical runway is only about 50 to 200 feet. With external factors like crosswinds, rain or fog present, landing on such a small area can prove challenging. Fortunately, pilots can take advantage of … Read More

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has different classifications for airplanes. Small airplanes, for instance, fall under the Normal, Utility, Transport or Acrobatic category depending on how they are used. Airplanes in the Normal category are used for carrying passengers … Read More

Crosswinds are a concern when piloting an airplane. Very rarely do winds align perfectly with an airplane’s path of travel. Instead, winds typically move in a different direction, which can result in crosswinds. To learn more about crosswinds and how … Read More

Composite materials have become increasingly common in the aerospace industry. Modern airplanes like the Boeing 787 are often comprised of at least 50% composite materials. Consisting of reinforcing fibers mixed with a polymer matrix, they offer a superior strength-to-weight ratio. … Read More

When researching aircraft systems, you may come across pitot-static systems. Pilots today rely on a variety of instruments to provide essential flight data. The pitot-static system is a collection of instruments that’s responsible for measuring airspeed, vertical speed, altitude and … Read More