To say airplanes have a lot of parts would be an understatement. When accounting for everything from landing wheel bearings and wheels to wires and fasteners, many airplanes have millions of parts. Some of these parts, however, are more important … Read More

Precision matters when drilling into workpieces. Regardless of the material from which the workpiece is made, you’ll need to ensure the hole is drilled in the right area. A drill jig, however, offers a solution. You can use a drill … Read More

Not all airplanes have plain, smooth leading edges. Whether it’s a commercial jet or a small private airliner, many of them feature leading edge extensions. What are leading edge extensions exactly, and how do they work in airplanes? What Are … Read More

Rivets are one of the most common types of fasteners used in the production of airplanes. They are designed to permanently join multiple parts. You can find rivets on the fuselage, wings, tail, nose and other places of a typical … Read More

The advent of autopilot systems has revolutionized the way in which pilots control airplanes. Autopilot systems are computer systems that, as you may know, are designed to automatically control airplanes. While autopilot sounds self-explanatory, though, there are several common myths … Read More

Have you heard of grease fittings? They are commonly used on aircraft bearings. Bearings can wear down over time. As they restrict or constrain the motion of the parts with which they are used, bearings will be exposed to friction. … Read More

Pilots don’t rely on a single metric to determine the temperature of the air outside of an airplane. Most cockpits display several different air temperatures, including total air temperature (TAT), static air temperature (SAT) and International Standard Atmospheric (ISA) temperature … Read More

Ring terminals offer a simple and effective way to connect electrical wires to circuit points. Also known as ring connectors, they are characterized by the use of a ring-shaped conductive stud. After securing an electrical wire to the opposite end, … Read More

You shouldn’t use general-purpose tape on wires. Wires carry electricity. When exposed to electricity, general-purpose tape may melt or ignite. For wires and other electrical applications, there’s no better choice than electrical tape. What Is Electrical Tape? Electrical tape is … Read More