Landing gear is a critical component for any aircraft, as it allows the aircraft to takeoff, land, and taxi safely on the ground. However, the way landing gear is designed and arranged on the aircraft can affect its weight distribution, center of gravity, and handling characteristics on the ground. Most modern civilian small aircraft are built in either the tricycle or tailwheel configurations.

There are two main approaches to the construction of the outer shell of an aircraft fuselage: monocoque and semimonocoque. Monocoque systems were employed in early aviation, starting in 1918, but semimonocoque methods are the most widely seen approach in modern aviation. The main differences between the two approaches is in their designated support structures.

Have you ever wondered how air conditioning works on a commercial aircraft? Air cycle air conditioning is the most widely used process in commercial aviation. This system uses engine bleed air to pressurize the aircraft cabin. By manipulating bleed air through a few important components, this system is able to provide comfortable air flow to the cabin during flight.

Among the various types of aircraft landing gear, all are currently sorted into two main categories: fixed and retractable. Fixed landing gear simply refers to gear that is permanently attached to the airframe. Retractable landing gear refers to a system that allows landing gear to be extended and retracted from the aircraft as needed. The use of both arrangements primarily relies on aircraft speed and internal volume.

An aircraft actuator is a type of motor that moves mechanisms and systems using hydraulic fluids and currents. They produce linear, rotary, or oscillatory motions. Actuators have applications in many fields and can be used in many kinds of machinery. Many of our common household items, such as printers and disk drives, have actuators. They can even be found in cars! But, because they have so many uses, and each is subject to its own specific conditions, there are considerations to be had when deciding on which actuator to use. The four main types are:

For first-time flyers, there’s nothing more terrifying than the little shudder and deceleration you feel right before the pilot comes on the PA system and announces that they’ve shut down the aircraft engine. Passengers will suddenly remember the headlines they’ve seen over the years: the 2010 Qantas flight 32 which had catastrophic engine failure four minutes after takeoff from Singapore, or the 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 incident where the pilot had to land in the Hudson River after losing both engines to bird strikes, to name a few.

As you wait in the airport terminal for your turn to board, you’ve probably looked out those large windows, watching the planes and air traffic personnel as they go about their routines. You’ve probably noticed that no matter what direction the flight is supposed to go, it seems like all the planes are taking off in the same direction. But have you wondered why?

Starting a jet engine is a complicated process that takes some vital actions to complete. The main and most important part is to make sure that the engine has sufficient airflow, this is so that the engine can compress the air to successfully cause the chemical reaction with fuel to provide thrust.

As fuel prices continue to lower companies across the globe are seeing airlines, as well as private owners, sinking their money into taking care of their planes and using them for long stretches of time. This shift means that facilities who repair and maintain aircraft engines are seeing companies ask for older models for their aging planes. This change means that companies are scrambling to find older engine models, meaning that the market has quickly gone from being flooded with aviation parts to almost completely barren.

Often many people believe that creating your own computer is mere rocket science due to the complexity of the technical vocabulary. Once understanding the basics of the vocabulary, it is best believed that creating the entire computer from scratch will no longer seem that impossible.