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

The use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) is a growing trend in the aviation industry. Ever since the development of the Wright Flyer, most airplanes have used petroleum-based fuel. Some airplanes use aviation gasoline, whereas others use a kerosene fuel like … Read More

Airplanes use different methods for boarding as well as deplaning. Two primary of the most common methods are jetways and airstairs. They both allow passengers to enter and exit airplanes, but they have distinct advantages and drawbacks that affect their … Read More

When most people think of washers, they envision disc-shaped metal fasteners with a hole in the center. While most washers are, in fact, made of metal, some of them are made of elastomers, such as rubber. Rubber washers still feature … Read More