Aerospace Engineering

Not all airplanes are designed with a single pair of wings. Some of them feature two pairs of wings — with one pair stacked on the other pair. Known as biplanes, they’ve been around for over a century. The Wright … Read More

To say there are a lot of airports would be an understatement. In the United States, there are now over 5,200 publically accessible airports and over 14,000 private airports. While you can airports just about anywhere, many of them are … Read More

Have you ever noticed the hinge-like flaps on the back of an airplane’s wings? Known as ailerons, they aren’t used for aesthetic purposes. Rather, they are flight control surfaces that provide pilots with greater control over the airplane. Whether narrow … Read More

As one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturing companies, Airbus is constantly developing new commercial airliners. One of its latest airliners is the A321neo. An acronym for “new engine option,” the A321neo is a variant of the A320 family. It’s … Read More

Landing gear is essential for all types of airplanes. As you may know, it consists of a set of wheels — along with other components — that allow airplanes to roll on the runway. Pilots will use the landing gear … Read More

Reciprocating engines are commonly used to power private and commercial airplanes. Also known as piston engines, they are characterized by the use of reciprocal-motion pistons. The piston or pistons “reciprocate” inside of the engines while simultaneously converting combustion-generated pressure into … Read More

Wing flaps are a common component of most airplanes. As the name suggests, they consist of hinge-like flaps on an airplane’s wings. Most fixed-wing airplanes have flaps on both of their wings. When taking off and landing, pilots will raise … Read More

Jet-engine airplanes have become synonymous with commercial airliners. While some commercial airliners are powered by a propeller, most of them are powered by one or more jet engines. There are different types of jet-engine airplanes, however, including twinjet and quadjet. … Read More

Not all airplanes are powered by one or more jet engines. While jet engines are undoubtedly common, some airplanes are powered by a turboprop engine. Turboprop engines are used in propeller airplanes. Airplanes with one or more propellers are manufactured … Read More