Aerospace Engineering

Have you heard of adverse yaw? Yaw, of course, is one of the three axes of flight. It represents the oscillation or rotation of an object, such as an airplane, around a vertical axis. Pilots can control the airplane’s yaw … Read More

Ever wonder why airplanes use knots to measure their speed instead of MPH? The speedometers in cars, trucks and other land-based vehicles display speed in MPH. The airspeed indicators in airplanes, however, display speed in knots. What Is a Knot? … Read More

Ever wonder how retractable landing gear works? With the exception of small private airplanes and commuter airplanes, most airplanes don’t have fixed landing gear. Instead, they have retractable landing gear. Their landing gear systems are concealed within the belly of … Read More

Not all airplanes have a traditional wing configuration consisting of a single horizontal wing around the middle of the fuselage. There are alternative wing configurations available, one of which is a canard. Canards are commonly found on military jets. Some … Read More

Modern-day airplanes are designed with a variety of automated systems. In addition to autopilot, for instance, many of them feature an automatic braking system. Known as autobrakes, it’s used during landings and rejected takeoffs. To learn more about autobrakes and … Read More

Ever wonder if the altitude at which an airplane flies affects its speed? Most commercial jets have a cruising altitude of 31,000 to 42,000 feet. After taking off, they will climb for about 10 minutes to reach this altitude. Yes, … Read More

Zero fuel weight is an important metric for fixed-wing aircraft. Not to be confused with maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), it represents the total weight of an aircraft minus fuel. Whether you’re a private pilot or aerospace engineer, you can’t ignore … Read More

Aircraft fuel systems are more complex than their automotive counterparts. While most cars, trucks and other automobiles have a single fuel tank, large commercial airliners typically have at least two fuel tanks. The Boeing 787, for instance, has three fuel … Read More

When most people think of spoilers, they envision the wing-like structures found on the back of sports cars. Spoilers such as these are common. They are aerodynamic devices that disrupt or “spoil” the airflow, resulting in better performance. But spoilers … Read More