Aerospace Exchange Blog

Across many industries, fasteners are used to secure parts of machinery and other components in place during operation. From screws to nuts, bolts, and so much more, there are countless types of fasteners available on the market, all of which function differently. Deciding which fasteners to use for your applications can be tricky, so it is helpful to understand the general designs and functions of some of the more popular fastener types. For your better knowledge, this blog will explore both nuts and nutplates, two separate types of internally threaded fasteners. With similar names but different advantages, it is useful to be able to distinguish between the two when deciding which to procure for your operations.

With the ability to cover massive swaths of land at unparalleled speeds, many modern aircraft rely on the jet engine to generate the great amount of power required to propel 700,000 pounds of aluminum through flight. Jet engines, or gas turbines, on modern aircraft are more often than not turbofan engines, those of which use a combination of combustion and bypass air to create thrust. As the majority of aircraft today rely on the turbofan engine, this blog will explore the unique features and functions of this specific turbojet which set it apart from older designs.

When working with aircraft that feature propeller assemblies, one may notice that each propeller blade features a twisted design. This is an intentional choice during the manufacturing stage, ensuring that blades are able to most optimally perform during flight. To help you better understand this design choice, you will first need to be familiar with the physics of propeller assemblies.

While some may think firewalls are limited to the automobile world, they are actually an integral part of aircraft as well, acting as barriers between an airplane’s engines and the rest of the airframe. Commonly known as bulkheads in the United Kingdom, firewalls are considered a fire-resistant barrier. To better understand their purpose and function, this blog will provide a brief overview of firewalls in aircraft.

While the terms fuselage and airframe are often used interchangeably to refer to the body of an aircraft, they are technically not the same. In fact, the fuselage is a portion of the airframe that includes the middle section of the aircraft but excludes the wings and other extended features. Understanding the technical differences between the two structures is important for anyone operating aircraft, so this blog will delve into the distinguishing features that define each term.

The word “tachometer” is derived from the Greek words “tachos,” which means speed, and “metron,” which means “measure.” However, contrary to what the name may suggest, tachometers do not necessarily track the speed of an aircraft, but rather, they measure an engine’s operating speed in revolutions per minute (RPM). Tachometers indicate the mechanical motion of either the entire aircraft or one of its components. They measure the rotational speed and the angular (aka rotary) velocity of either the disc or the shaft of the rotating body.

Shaft couplings are mechanical elements that join two shafts together and help in accommodating the misalignment of torque from one end to another. These mechanical devices are used for connecting rotating shafts and absorbing misalignments between them. Depending on the alignment precision of the torque and system requirements, couplings can be flexible or rigid.
 
Some of the most common applications of shaft couplings are for torque and power transmission between rotating shafts, like in compressors, generators, and motors. There are many types of couplings that one may procure as well. Let us have a look at the most common types of shaft couplings.

Washers are machine components that find use in countless assemblies. Typically used in conjunction with a screw fastener such as a bolt and nut, washers  keep such components from loosening. More than that, they distribute the load from the nut or bolt head over a larger surface area, reducing wear over time.

Maintenance crews are often tasked with carrying out a number of standard aircraft safety procedures, two of which include fueling and defueling. These procedures vary from aircraft to aircraft, wherein there may be a prescribed sequence to follow when performing such tasks to prevent damage to the airframe or other structures. As such, making sure that the proper procedures are taking place prior to fueling is paramount.

Have you noticed the nozzle at the back of an aircraft engine and wondered what it does? Like everything in aircraft design, its placement is intentional, and it plays a critical role in helping propel the airplane forward. While nozzles vary from aircraft to aircraft, every jet-engine plane implements a propulsion nozzle in its design. In this blog, we will discuss the function and reasoning behind these important components.