Ice formation is a common phenomenon with airplanes. As they ascend, airplanes are exposed to cooler air. The air temperature at 35,000 — the cruising altitude for most commercial airliners — is around minus 50 degrees to minus 60 degrees … Read More
Not all aircraft rely on lifting surfaces to generate lift. Some of them use rotating blades, instead. Known as rotorcraft, they play an important role in modern aviation. Rotorcraft include helicopters, gyroplanes and quadcopters. While there are nuances between them, … Read More
Rivets are available in many different materials. In addition to aluminum and steel, titanium is a common material in which they are made. Featuring the atomic number 22, titanium is a silvery chemical element that’s found in Earth’s crust. It … Read More
Landing gear is an essential part of nearly all airplanes. With the exception of seaplanes, most airplanes have wheel-based landing gear. It allows them to roll on the runway when taking off or landing. There are different types of landing … Read More
Airplanes are often categorized based on their purpose. There are passenger airplanes and cargo airplanes, for instance. While they both feature many of the same parts — fuselage, wings, tail assembly, landing gear, engines, etc. — they aren’t the same. … Read More
Do you know the difference between spacers and washers? They are both used in conjunction with fasteners like screws and bolts to create space. After driving a screw or bolt through a set of parts, for instance, you can use … Read More
Not all nuts feature a traditional hexagonal shape. Some of them are shaped like a barrel. Known as barrel nuts or dowel nuts, they are commonly used in electronics, aerospace, construction and furniture applications. Like hexagonal nuts, barrel nuts feature … Read More
If you’ve ever watched airplanes taking off and landing at an airport, you may recall seeing numbers painted on the tail or the back of the fuselage near the tail. Known as tail numbers, they are essential identifiers in the … Read More
Jet engines play an important role in modern aviation. Featuring an air intake, compressor, combustion chamber and exhaust nozzle, they are the primary means of propulsion for most airplanes. Jet engines work by sucking air into a combustion chamber where … Read More
