Not all airplanes have straight wings that extend perpendicular to the fuselage. While straight wings are common, some airplanes have wings that extend from the fuselage at an angle. Known as swept wings, they can extend forward or backward. Below … Read More
Do you know the difference between a drill bit and a router bit? While both consist of a metal rod with helical grooves known as flutes, they aren’t the same. Drill bits and router bits are two different types of … Read More
No airplane is complete without a fuselage. It serves as the main body of an airplane while containing the cargo and passengers. While most airplanes only have a single fuselage, however, some of them are designed with two fuselages. Known … Read More
Airplanes are often equipped with multiple hinge-like control surfaces on their wings, including flaps and slats. In their default position, flaps and slats remain flush with the wings. Pilots can lower these control surfaces, however, to increase lift or drag. … Read More
Are you familiar with grommets? Consisting of a ring-shaped piece of material with a hole in the center, they look like rubber O-rings. While O-rings are used to seal mating surfaces and joints, however, grommets are used for other purposes. … Read More
Whether it’s a large Airbus A380 or a single-engine Cessna 172, most airplanes rely on landing gear to touch down on the runway. Landing gear consists of wheeled assemblies that allow airplanes to roll on hard surfaces, such as runways. … Read More
No airplane is immune to the effects of turbulence. If you’re a seasoned flyer, however, you may have noticed that bigger airplanes typically experience less turbulence. A Boeing 737, for instance, will almost certainly experience more turbulence than a smaller … Read More
Turbofan engines are synonymous with the commercial aviation industry. With the exception of small passenger jets, most commercial jets use them as their main source of propulsion. Not to be confused with a turbojet, a turbofan is a type of … Read More
Blind rivets have revolutionized the way in which parts are fastened. Unlike traditional rivets, they don’t require access to both sides of the parts. They are known as “blind” rivets because they only require access to the front of the … Read More
