Aircraft cables are meticulously engineered to meet the rigorous demands of both commercial and military aviation operations. These specialized cables, often composed of high-strength steel wires, are designed for many applications within aircraft, from critical flight control systems to seat back controls. This blog delves into the complexities and nuances of aircraft cables, providing a comprehensive overview of their types, applications, and components that ensure their optimal performance.


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Black boxes, also known as flight data recorders or cockpit voice recorders, are constructed from durable, heat-resistant materials to withstand extreme conditions. With this in mind, the outer shell of a black box is typically made of high-strength metal alloys like titanium or stainless steel, providing protection against fire, water, and impact during plane crashes. Inside the black box, there are crucial components, including memory boards, data processors, circuit boards, power sources, and other various parts. However, the memory boards are what capture and store data from various aircraft sensors and instruments, ensuring accurate recording of critical flight information. This combination of robust materials and advanced internal components allows black boxes to serve as vital tools for investigators, helping them better understand what happened during aviation incidents.


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Aircraft are a marvel of engineering, their designs incorporating various structures, systems, and control surfaces that enable flight while ensuring safety and efficiency. One critical element of an aircraft's control system is the flap, a movable surface that is typically located on the trailing edge of the wing. Flaps play a vital role in enhancing an aircraft's performance during takeoff, landing, and other critical phases of flight. To better understand them, we will explore the functions of aircraft flaps and their effectiveness in different flight conditions.


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Attitude indicators, also known as artificial horizons, are a pivotal flight instrument found in aircraft that allow pilots to maintain awareness of an aircraft’s orientation in relation to the horizon. While allowing pilots to best maintain proper control and orientation while flying, such indicators are absolutely essential when operating in poor visibility conditions where outside visuals are obscured. In this blog, we will explore what attitude indicators are, what types are available, how to use them, and more.


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Aircraft technology and avionics are constantly expanding and becoming more advanced. We have come a long way since the early days of flight when electrical systems did not exist, and aircraft today cannot not work without reliable wiring systems. Used for hydraulic systems, communication devices, and so much more, electrical wiring infrastructures are required in such high quantities that mechanics today must rely on aircraft wiring harnesses for productively grouping and routing large quantities of cables. For your better understanding, this blog will further explore the purpose of using aircraft wiring harnesses for various aviation systems, alongside the various parts that comprise a typical harness.


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While many modern aircraft have shifted to using powerful gas turbine engines to produce the thrust necessary for lift, there are still many models designed and manufactured with propeller blade assemblies. If you happen to own an aircraft with a propeller assembly or are looking to buy an aircraft propeller set, it is important to have a general understanding of the main factors to keep in mind while conducting your search. As such, we will discuss the main tips for propeller purchasing, ensuring that you make the right investment for your needs.


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DC motors are rotary electrical devices that are designed to convert direct current (DC) into mechanical energy. They are available in different types, each of which is equipped with an electronic internal mechanism or electromechanical internal mechanism that is responsible for changing the direction of the current in the motor. For instance, some of the most popular designs are permanent magnet, shunt and stabilized shunt, series, and compound wound variations.


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A servo motor, or servomotor, is a type of rotary or linear actuator that may be used to achieve precise control of position, velocity, and acceleration that is angular or linear. A standard servo motor will consist of a position feedback sensor with a matching motor, and they can be found in applications ranging from automated manufacturing processes to robotics. With their use stretching across a variety of industries, it can be useful to have a general understanding of their use and how they function.


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Electronic connectors are complex devices that join electronic circuits and are integral to assembling, installing, and supplying power to electronic devices. As such, connectors are a critical component found in every type of electronic equipment used in industrial machinery, consumer electronics, communications, and appliances. While these devices oftentimes go overlooked, they are a major part of making an electronic product functional and complete.


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Across the globe, countless flights occur as nearly 176,000 aircraft take off and land each day. For many of these aircraft, there is little rest between operations as they follow tight schedules and quick turnover processes. To keep millions of passengers in constant movement, it is crucial that such aircraft are always well-maintained for their health and airworthiness. To best care for aircraft, they need to have proper health monitoring, that of which requires various hardware and software to effectively carry out processes. To help you better understand health monitoring, we will discuss Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems (AHMSs) and other similar technology.


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Airplanes are genuine wonders of our modern time, helping us connect the globe as such vehicles can traverse several thousands of miles in just hours. While being so advanced, some may wonder why aircraft are without certain features that a typical automobile would have, such as being completely devoid of a reverse gear. Most of the time, one will see a ground vehicle tug attached to the aircraft which is responsible for the aircraft's ground movement in certain areas and during specific operations. Although aircraft are more than capable of moving on the ground on their own during operation, pilots often avoid taking advantage of such capabilities for certain reasons., In this blog, we will discuss how an airplane can reverse without having a reverse gear and why they utilize the help of a ground vehicle for ground movement. Let us begin by looking at how airplanes can reverse on their own.


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Advances in aviation instrumentation technology have enabled pilots to safely operate their aircraft in any condition. These instruments provide vital information about the aircraft's orientation, speed, and engine status, among other metrics. Entering the cockpit of a commercial plane for the first time might be overwhelming, with dozens of gauges, meters, and other indicators. Still, as long as you are familiar with the six main instruments, you will have a solid foundation. In this blog, we will detail the six flight instruments found on every aircraft, including their purpose, design, and variations.


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Switches serve as drawbridges in electric circuits. When the switch is closed, the “bridge” is down, allowing electric current to flow around the circuit. Similarly, if the switch is opened, the “bridge” is up and no current flows. Essentially, they function to activate or deactivate a circuit at any given time.


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Longerons are spar-like structures that run along the length of an aircraft’s fuselage or wingspan. Designed to add rigidity and strength to the airframe, longerons serve to transfer loads and stresses from the aircraft skin to the formers. Typically, longerons are attached to multiple formers and bulkheads, with the number of longerons varying based on the size and design of the particular aircraft.


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Capacitors are a common passive electrical component found in countless circuit assemblies, serving to store electrical energy within an electric field. Ceramic and electrolytic capacitor types are the two primary choices for electronic circuits, those of which slightly differ in their general makeup and design. To help you better understand the difference between ceramic and electrolytic capacitors, as well as how such components benefit various applications in general, we will discuss them in more detail.


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Washers are a common component found in various assemblies, and they regularly come in the form of a thin, disk-shaped plate with a hole cut out of their center. While the Primary Use of washer is to distribute the load of a fastener, such components may also act as a spacer, spring, wear pad, locking element, vibration reducer, and more. Washers come in many forms, plain, spring, and locking washers being the most common variations. Spring washers in particular are quite beneficial for applications in which vibration is a concern, featuring axial flexibility and fastener security. In this blog, we will discuss the spring washer and common subtypes, allowing you to better understand their role in part assembly.


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Transistors, originally known as “transit resistors” and “transfer resistors,” are components that have revolutionized the electronic world since their invention. As of the present, transistors serve as a staple of electronic circuitry, so much so that it is fairly unfathomable to have a PCB that is devoid of such elements. In this blog, we will discuss the characteristics, functionality, types, and applications of transistors, allowing you to better understand how the component has forever changed electronic design and manufacturing.


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An Airspeed Indicator is an instrument that measures the speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air through the difference between the pressure of still air (static pressure) and the moving air compressed by the aircraft’s forward motion (ram pressure). As speed increases, so too does the difference in these two pressures. This blog will explain how the airspeed indicator works as well as its greater role in an aircraft instrumentation system.


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Electrical systems are necessary in almost every sector including but not limited to the aviation, aeronautical, electrical, healthcare, and many other industries. It is of utmost importance to provide and ensure that the aviation electrical system for aircraft, however, is functioning properly, as the consequences otherwise would be hazardous. In aviation, there is no room for mistakes, which is why we have outlined a brief description of details to the aircraft electrical systems. For more information on the many different types of aircraft electrical systems, read on below.


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When equipment and systems that feature rotation are under operation, they constantly generate both radial and axial loads. With movement between these rotating components, friction is also created. If left to their own devices, these loads and friction may cause damage that can lead to inevitable failure of the entire assembly. To mitigate this chance and protect equipment, antifriction bearings are implemented.


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Automated test equipment (ATE) may refer to an instrument that is used to test a device, generating results and measurements for evaluation. Automated test equipment may range from simple digital multimeters to very complex apparatuses containing multiple instruments. Such equipment may be used across many applications, though are most common for the testing of electronic components, avionics, military radar and communication, and automobile electronic devices. Through testing, issues may be found and resolved early to prevent customers receiving defective products, or to avoid downtime from malfunctioning components by detecting such problems during inspections. As ATE provides many benefits to a manufacturer or repair station, investing in the right components and equipment can be highly beneficial. In this blog, we will discuss the various things to consider when choosing which automated test equipment parts to procure for your operations and projects.


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When constructing an aircraft, there are a grand amount of parts that come together to create the entirety of the structure. With most of these parts, there needs to be something that is able to hold and secure them together. From keeping a meal tray shut to installing an aluminum frame to the fuselage, the hardware components known as fasteners are indispensable tools that establish an aircraft’s integrity. As there are many aviation fasteners that may be utilized to construct an aircraft, we will discuss in this blog some of the more common fastener types that you should be familiar with.


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Many aircraft engines create propulsion for flight through the combustion of fuel and frequent moving parts. As a result, engines typically generate high amounts of heat and friction. This heat can spread to surrounding components and if left unchecked, could even damage the system as a whole. Through the use of aircraft engine oil, heat and friction caused by normal operation can be mitigated. The benefits of engine oil are so useful that without it, an aircraft engine may fail within a matter of minutes.


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RF or radio frequency connectors are the metal connector pieces at the ends of a coaxial cable and are commonly found on television cable wires. These coaxial connectors are designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range and are designed to maintain the shielding a coaxial cable wire offers. Besides coaxial cables, other uses include radios, surge protectors, enclosures, and antennas. The most common connector types are Type N, UHF (Ultra high frequency), TNC (Threaded Neill-Concelman), RP TNC (Reverse Polarity Threaded Neill-Concelman), BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman connector), SMA (Sub-Miniture version A), and RP SMA (Reverse Polarity Sub-Miniture version A).


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When considering the many types of vehicles that we rely on every day, it is surprising to know that a majority of them may rely on the same type of turbine: the gas turbine. The uses of gas turbine combustion include the operation of ships, locomotives, aircraft, helicopters, and even some cars and buses. Although many may know that turbines and engines require some sort of fuel to operate, many may not know how that fuel is utilized. In this article, we will discuss the role of gas turbine combustion chambers, and how they use fuel to drive our vehicles.


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Throughout the history of aviation, aircraft design and components have changed greatly. The pilot cockpit and flight instruments have evolved from a system of mechanical gauges to an advanced set of screens and displays, leading to the term “glass cockpit”. Electronic Flight Instrument Systems, or EFIS, are an electronic flight display technology that has replaced steam gauges with LCD screens. In this blog, we will discuss the various aircraft instrumentation components that make up the EFIS, such as the Primary Flight Display, Multifunction Display, and the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System.


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Fasteners are an important part of any aviation machinery. They have to be able to withstand extreme circumstances and remain reliable in all situations. In the aerospace industry, fasteners are used in countless different capacities. Nuts, a very commonly used fastener, are as varied as their uses. The four most common types of nuts are acorn nuts, square nuts, wing nuts, and weld nuts. This blog will explain each of these types in detail.


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Managing and operating an aircraft takes serious effort. From keeping up with FAR and FAA policies to ensuring that you’ve hired and trained a certified cabin crew, there is a lot that goes into overseeing an aircraft. Whether you’re the sole owner and supervisor of your aircraft or you’re delegating specific tasks to different teams of professionals, it’s crucial to know what kind of maintenance goes into keeping your fleet in tip top shape. Read on below for some helpful aircraft maintenance tips:


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An aircraft requires three things to take flight and maintain it: lift, propulsion, and control. Lift is provided by the aircraft’s wings, and propulsion by its engines, but establishing control is the most challenging to maintain.


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The rotor shaft of a helicopter is a center of activity, which is all carefully considered and accounted for during flight. Unlike airfoils on fixed wing aircraft, the propellers on helicopters move back, forth, up, and down during operation. With all this movement, it is important that the propeller movement is controlled. Various pieces of hardware such as bearings, fasteners, and dampers all help to stabilize the propeller movement. This blog will focus on the importance of dampers.


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Hydraulic systems are a fundamental component in the design and construction of modern aircraft. As the engineering of hydraulic systems evolved over time, and the technology became more elaborate, aircraft designers began implementing hydraulic systems for many more aircraft functions. This is due, in part, to the fact that hydraulic systems are economically friendly to install, easy to maintain, and can still perform in the most demanding in-flight conditions. Modern aircraft use hydraulic systems to support for the operation of several flight-critical functions.


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An aircraft heating system is integral for the safe operation of an aircraft. In the duration of its flight cycle, an aircraft will encounter volatile temperature changes and a heating system can help ensure all aircraft components maintain their necessary temperature for efficient and reliable operation. Two heating systems frequently utilized in aviation are exhaust heaters and combustion heaters. The systems share one similarity— both utilize the heating of ambient air or ram air. Let’s take a look at how heater systems work.


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Avionics test methods are typically restricted to singular fashion testing. This defines the removal of a faulty avionic component from the aircraft, usually an avionics box, in order for it to be tested at a repair station. The main issue with this process is that it cannot accurately reflect the malfunctioning unit in tandem with its associated aircraft systems. Therefore, if a problem does not occur during testing and cannot be recreated by the service facility or an avionics technician, it is classified as a No Faults Found (NFF) case. 


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Although advancements in aircraft technology are designed to create a more efficient and reliable flight experience, most aircraft still rely on six traditional instruments known as the “six-pack”. Like how the core of the human body is necessary for maintaining posture and balance, the “six-pack” is necessary for informing the pilot of vital information regarding the status of the aircraft.


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