Aviation Purchasing Platform Blog

To keep flying safe, aircraft are carefully manufactured to endure the harsh environment present at 30,000 feet in the air. At this altitude, temperatures tend to range from minus 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and aircraft are exposed to turbulence, ultraviolet sunlight, moisture, and other external factors. To protect them from damage caused by these conditions, aircraft are constructed with a membrane-like barrier called skin. Read on to learn more about how airplane skin is created and used to keep aircraft safe from high-altitude environmental dangers.

Whether for aviation or any other industrial applications, fasteners must be strong and reliable in order to hold assemblies together. As such, there are countless fastener types available for varying purposes, ranging in different sizes, shapes, materials, and more. A very popular choice across industries is to use a nut and bolt configuration; the bolt is a male fastener intended to mate with the nut or female fastener. Nuts are internally threaded to allow for the insertion of bolts, and they vary in types across applications. While all bolts have circular openings, hex nuts are a specific type of nut with a hexagonal exterior. For your better knowledge, this blog will explore some popular types of hex nuts used across industries.

If you have ever sat in the window seat of an airplane, you will know that airplane windows are small and sealed shut; however, there is a tiny, often overlooked detail of all airplane windows that serves an important purpose: a small hole at the bottom. Also known as bleed holes, these aspects of aircraft windows allow us to breathe at the high altitudes of flight by keeping the cabin pressurized. In order to maintain proper air density, aircraft have systems in place to keep pressure levels steady. In the following blog, we will take a closer look at how this is accomplished and the vital role of the tiny hole.

Bleed valves are small but integral pieces of fluid transportation and storage equipment that are used to release a precise amount of liquid or gas in a system. Typically, they are found in pipelines, storage tanks, and pumps where pressure tends to build up or leak during regular use. By releasing trapped liquid or gas, bleed valves ensure that pressure surges are controlled or eliminated to prevent damage to the system. Moreover, bleed valves are also regularly used for maintenance and inspection with little disruption to a fluid network. By understanding how these essential devices work, one can ensure the proper installation and use of bleed valves in their fluid system.

Aircraft of all types have greatly advanced in the past few decades, and one of the biggest revolutions came in the form of reenvisioning the cockpit that pilots operate in. While many older aircraft models presented a fairly manual set of gauges and instruments to use that were often based on analog technology, modern aircraft now feature what is known as a glass cockpit. The term “glass cockpit” is used as the traditional analog features are replaced with LCD displays where all readings and instruments are either presented on a single primary flight display (PFD) or a Multi-Function Display (MFD). While these screens offer all necessary readings that analog instruments did, they also have the ability to present pilots with checklists, weather maps, engine data, and so much more.

In the realm of aviation, fasteners serve as one of the most crucial aspects of aircraft assembly. For a typical commercial airliner, around 50% of all parts used during the manufacturing process will consist of fasteners. Based on the parts that are being assembled and various requirements or needs, a number of fastener types may be used. For the seducing of aircraft cowlings and fairings, Camloc fasteners are regularly relied on. While highly reliable and easy to use, there are various Camloc fastener subtypes that one may choose from, necessitating one having a basic understanding of what such fasteners do and the types that are available for use.

Rivets are a common fastener type used in numerous industries and construction applications, allowing for a permanent joint to be installed with the use of a single component and tool. With a standard rivet, the installation process simply required one to pass the tail-end of the fastener through a preformed hole before deforming it to create a second head. While this installation technique is quite easy, it requires one to have access to both sides of an assembly, that of which may not be the most feasible for applications such as aircraft construction. In these cases, specialized fasteners must be used, the most popular form being the pop rivet.

When flying in an aircraft, whether commercial or military, an emergency exit is a crucial feature that the plane should possess. Thus, for safe travels in the present, most commercial planes like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 include multiple exits in addition to the traditional emergency exit. One such emergency exit is the overwing exit, that of which can be found near a trailing edge of an aircraft wing, allowing passengers to leave the plane in case of emergency. The trailing edge is the rear edge of an aircraft's wings where passengers can utilize an overwing exit if present, hence its name. The overwing exit is a self-help exit and can be operated by passengers in the case of an immediate evacuation using slides from the extended flaps or through an evacuation slide that deploys when the door is opened. Aircraft have 90-second evacuation rules, which sometimes is not possible with the main doors, and using a traditional emergency door is not required; in such cases, overwing exits come into play. They are typically smaller than traditional standard emergency exits due to their smaller width and height, and the passenger seated next to the overwing exit is responsible for opening the exit gates.

All internal combustion engines require a spark source in order to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber. While many vehicles have transitioned to battery-powered coil-type ignition systems, aircraft still rely on century-old magneto technology to create the spark necessary for combustion. These small devices are considered to be one of the most reliable components featured on the aircraft, owing to their simplicity and non-dependence on other systems. Due to FAA regulations and industry standards, customers generally must choose between two magneto types: Bendix or Slick. In this blog, we will discuss some of the main differences between these devices in an attempt to help you decide which is most in line with your individual requirements.

For vehicles or assemblies that are in motion, shock often proves to be a detrimental force that can easily lead to various forms of damage over time. While there are various methods of mitigating the effects of shock, the most common is to implement shock absorbers. Also known as dampers, shock absorbers come in various types to support a wide variety of applications. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of shock absorbers and their common types, allowing you to find the perfect solution for your needs.