There is much to consider when answering this question. I’ll attempt to cover some of the key considerations, but not all. Please let me know what think. One of the chief determinants of what economic cruise speed of an aircraft will be like is the sweep of its aerofoils, particularly its wings. (One of many […]

If you are cruising at a high altitude, as soon as the engine fails, you will notice a drop in aircraft speed. This is the first thing that needs to be addressed as a pilot. To address this a descent must be initiated to a lower altitude where the remaining engine can use the thicker […]

SUCK-SQUEEZE-BANG-BLOW More complex answer: Let’s initially ignore the most common type of jet turbine engine in use today, the turbofan, and focus on the turbojet engine, which were used in the US Navy’s A-6 Intruder and F-4 Phantom II. (Typical single spool turbojet engine) The turbofan and turbojet engines share a similar hot section and […]

There are those social media arguments that get you hooked at 3 a.m. and keep you scrolling to hear both sides of the story. I was recently hooked by such a thread discussing landing gear failures that gave me more questions than answers. I could not sleep as I kept asking myself “Do most land […]

The construction material choice for runways is mostly decided either by weather conditions and/or the weight of the aircraft that will use the surface. Asphalt runways are used almost exclusively for general aviation (under 12,500 pounds gross takeoff weight). While almost all runways that are concrete are designed for use by aircraft that weight significantly […]

In Jet engines air is compressed by fan blades and directed to the combustion chamber, where it is mixed with fuel and ignited. The hot exhaust gases then exit the engine and provide thrust. A jet engine can handle a large amount of water ingestion, as most of the water is spun out by the […]

It’s been a unique Boeing tradition since the late 1950s. Boeing’s first passenger jet, the 707, had its nose section designated as section 41 in engineering drawings. There is no planned section in front of the nose section. It is one end of the airplane. It is the portion of an aircraft, extending from the […]

I was in a 757 a couple of years ago conducting a maintenance test flight on an airplane that not flown in about a year. There was a sticky valve that failed to close on takeoff that is used for electronic equipment cooling that is open on the ground. The airplane never pressurized. Climbing into […]

The main reason is to balance weight because fuel is one of the heaviest components of an aircraft. On some long-haul flights, the fuel can account for as much as a third of the aircraft’s gross weight. Storing this extra weight in the fuselage would reduce available cargo space and increase the strain and stress […]

The primary difference between a Boeing 737 equipped with winglets and one without them lies in their aerodynamic efficiency and performance characteristics. A Boeing 737 equipped with winglets features these distinctive wingtip extensions that serve multiple purposes. Winglets are designed to reduce lift-induced drag significantly, enhancing fuel efficiency by improving aerodynamics. They provide additional lift, […]

Not only Airbus A330, almost all aircraft have their nose gear shorter than the main landing gear. The main reason is that, when the nose gear will have lesser height than the main landing gear, the pilots will able to get a better view of the runway during ground operations. There could be another reason. […]

All in an effort to seek more fan efficiency. Fan blades have gone through a number of evolutionary steps. Early jet engines use what are called narrow chord fan blades that are typically made of solid titanium. Because they are thin but long (a high aspect ratio), they required “snubbers” (the ring-like circle going through […]

Interesting question and it might vary by aircraft, but I’m going to make a very educated guess regarding the most structurally sound part of an airplane. It’s the wing and its attachment to the fuselage — although many wings continue through the fuselage to make the wing essentially a single structure. I’ve seen pictures of […]

A stick shaker is a mechanical device that produces a pronounced vibration on the control yoke/stick of an aircraft to warn the pilot of an imminent stall. Most modern transport aeroplanes are equipped with an angle of attack sensor. As an aeroplane will always stall at a given angle of attack (not airspeed) for a […]

Flushing the toilet while seated on an airplane should not cause any harm or discomfort. The vacuum system used in airplane toilets is designed to handle flushing while someone is seated. However, it’s always a good idea to follow any specific instructions provided by the airline or cabin crew regarding toilet usage. Airplane toilets, also […]

Short answer: Water, yes. Waste, no. Let’s talk about Airbus A320, an aircraft with which I’m little familiar. When you flush your stuff down the toilet, it enters the waste management system of the A320. At this point, the system checks aircraft’s current altitude. When flying at cruise altitudes (33,000 – 36,000 feet), the air […]

The main motivation for using wingtip devices is the reduction of the wingtip vortices created by the wing, although winglets do not eliminate the tip effect, they reduce it considerably, so its main advantage is to reduce drag but this advantage has more implications than you can imagine. In general, we can say that fitting […]

In the pursuit of enhancing safety during emergencies, the notion of equipping airplanes with giant parachutes may initially appear appealing. However, upon closer examination, this idea proves to be impractical. Commercial airliners possess an immense weight, and the parachute system required to support such a monumental load would be substantial, leading to a significant reduction […]

Years ago, I asked that exact question to someone at Goodyear Aircraft Tires. I was sure no one else had ever thought about it and I would be hailed as a genius. Goodyear is one of the handful of major suppliers of aircraft tires and my friend there didn’t hesitate to respond, proving there’s rarely […]

The engines aren’t flat, their housing ( cowling ) is. But why are those flat? When the 737 first got designed in the sixties, it was envisioned to be a plane for small airports without much infrastructure. This meant it needed to be low on the ground so it could be accessed with only a […]

Have you ever noticed a distinct decrease in the noise level caused by airflow in the cockpit of an aircraft when the cabin pressure is approximately 2.1 pounds per square inch (psi) during ascent? Surprisingly, the airflow noise level remains the same and unchanged until the aircraft starts its descent and the cabin pressure decreases […]

Small jets can fly as high as big jets. They’re ‘pressurized’ inside so pilots and passengers have plenty of oxygen without wearing masks. Jet engines can perform will at higher altitudes and regularly fly at and way above 18,000 feet, where the ‘Jet Routes’ are. A Cirrus Vision is the smallest of them, has a […]

A close-up of the cross section of the A350’s wing showing the 35 layers of Carbon Fibre which go into the making of the wing. 📸 Bruce Adams The A350’s wing is made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, a lightweight carbon composite. This is created by arranging microscopically thin carbon fibres into a matrix with a […]

ROPS consists in 2 sub-functions ROW and ROP, one for the in-air phase andone for the on-ground phase : Runway Overrun Warning (ROW) provides in-air alerts in case of detection of a risk of runway overrun. ROW is active until a “transition point” from the in-air phase to the on-ground phase (the “start of braking”). […]

Large aircraft wings are essentially 2 pieces, left and right wings. The fuselage has to attach to these wings to transfer all the loads between them, and to do that in the simplest way is to have an adapter structure that mates the 2 wings to the fuselage, permanently. This is the “wing box” or […]

There are a couple of reasons it’s not feasible to replace a large percentage of a turbine engine’s weight by using carbon fiber parts. First, let’s talk about the heaviest and thickest parts in most turbine engines; prime targets for replacement if the goal is weight reduction. Here’s a pretty good diagram: The thickest and […]

A recent photo of a B-52H Stratofortress revealed a unique pattern of vertical ripples on the aircraft’s skin between the cockpit and wing, giving it a papery appearance. These ripples are a common occurrence due to the compressive and pressure loads experienced during flight. Although the rippling is visible on the B-52’s large fuselage, it […]

Delta wing aircraft are known for their high maneuverability and supersonic capabilities, but whether they generate more lift than aircraft with standard wings depends on the specific design and use case. Delta wings can generate a significant amount of lift at high angles of attack, which is beneficial for supersonic flight. However, standard wings can […]

A wheel “fusible plug”, or “fuse plug” is a safety device installed in the wheels of all airplanes.A number of holes are drilled in the landing gear wheels; these holes are filled with plugs made of a metal alloy having a low melting point. When the wheels become excessively hot, such as during a high-energy […]

The center of gravity (CG) of an aircraft affects its controllability by influencing its stability and maneuverability. When the CG is located within the specified range, the aircraft is generally easier to control. If the CG is too far forward, the aircraft may be less stable but more maneuverable, while a CG that is too […]

Latest A320 family aircraft is coming with a new Electronic Instrument System. One of the modification done on EWD is Attention Getting Box. In order to improve flight crew awareness in the case of engine failure or engine starting, an Attention Getting Box is added on the Engine & Warning Display and on the System […]

The aircraft’s distinctive wing flex is one of its defining features. Made possible with the use of carbon fiber material, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s wings have an incredible amount of flexibility. This flexibility allows load changes and wind gusts to be dampened, resulting in an overall smoother, less turbulent ride for passengers. The reason Boeing […]