ASAP AM Spares Blog

In aviation, hydraulic systems are the backbone of aircraft, allowing pilots to carry out flight plans with ease. Hydraulic systems operate by driving machinery via fluid pressurization. These systems are responsible for powering other aircraft systems such as landing gear, flight controls, brakes, cargo doors, and thrust reversers. As such, they perform the function of moving and actuating both critical and basic components within aircraft. To understand the importance of hydraulic systems, this blog will provide a brief overview of how they work.

Born out of necessity and applied by professionals, the goal for an aircraft engine is reliability. Unlike other vehicles where power is their primary concern, aircraft designers focus on ensuring these machines can be relied upon in any situation without fail – which means they are not just built to move forward.

A vast majority of aircraft necessitate electrical power to perform standard flight procedures such as taxiing, landing, and operating navigation equipment within the cockpit. The typical electrical systems within aircraft consist of a battery and an alternator or generator, all of which are connected via several meters of wire.

Across all piston-powered aircraft, the two primary fuel systems are the carburetor and fuel-injection system. While most general aviation aircraft initially relied on carburetor systems, fuel-injection systems have quickly risen in popularity in past years. The fuel-injection system holds various advantages over its counterpart, its benefits ranging from increased safety to improved performance. As a result, fuel-injection systems can be beneficial for many pilots depending on their needs. In this blog, we will discuss the design and functionality of the fuel injection system, allowing you to better understand how they work and provide fuel for flight.

The formation of ice across an aircraft and its systems is detrimental to flight operations, potentially disrupting airflow, reducing efficiency, and causing other various issues. For aircraft that feature propeller assemblies, ice commonly forms in a number of areas such as the propeller leading edges, cuffs, and spinner. As such, it is important that there are means for removal. Aircraft deice systems are quite popular for aircraft propeller assemblies, often taking advantage of electrical heating elements and chemical deicing fluids for protection.

Not all aircraft achieve flight through the same methods of propulsion. Whether classified as a lighter-than-air or heavier-than-air vehicle, aircraft can be categorized based on the type of propulsion system it utilizes to generate forward movement. Developed from earlier forms of aircraft employing internal combustion engines to power rotary engine technology, aircraft and their use of propellers have evolved over the decades to suit piston and turboprop engine types. However, as engines grew in size to support larger, more powerful aircraft, propellers had to follow suit. Manufactured for specific engine capabilities, a propeller’s design is directly related to its generated thrust and must be capable of counterbalancing an engine’s power to ensure optimal performance.

In order for an aircraft to achieve ample flight control throughout an operation, they often rely on a number of flight surfaces and devices that affect aerodynamics and heading. Aircraft spoilers are common devices that are found on numerous assemblies, used to reduce aerofoil lift in a controlled manner. Through the intentional reduction of lift, the aircraft spoilers generate a controlled stall over the rear portion of the wing. As airplane hardware parts that enable more control over aerodynamics during various flight procedures, having an understanding of how spoilers and roll spoilers function is crucial for any current or aspiring pilot.

For a majority of aircraft, propulsion and flight is made possible through the combustion of fuel and air mixtures within an engine. For an aircraft piston engine in particular, such systems will burn fuel within cylinders, creating the necessary reciprocal power needed to drive propellers. This continuous operation throughout a flight can result in high amounts of heat and exhaust within the system, requiring the expulsion of spent fuel to reduce pressure, mitigate heat, and more. The expulsion of such matter and heat is achieved through the use of the aircraft exhaust system, that of which contains a number of important parts and characteristics that ensure the efficiency and wellbeing of aircraft and their engines. 

Pilots and aeronautic fans alike may have heard of the term “bleed air,” but what exactly is it? As a byproduct produced during the combustion stage within an aircraft engine, bleed air is hot air that can be redirected and used to aid in various functions of the aircraft. Readily available, this source of energy proves beneficial for the means of enacting temperature control, pressure control, and pressure regulation. Within this blog, we will explain the functionalities of bleed air systems within modern aircraft and why they are important in maintaining key internal and external functions.

Aircraft are large vehicles with numerous heavy control surfaces and flight systems that are paramount to standard operations. To ensure proper control over the aircraft during flight, pilots must have a means of quickly activating and managing various airplane parts. With aircraft actuation systems, energy can be harnessed from mechanical sources to create linear or rotary motion for the means of operating landing gear, flaps, aircraft brakes, slats, and much more. While many early aircraft took advantage of cables, gears, and rods for mechanical actuation, new systems have come about over the years which are more streamlined and efficient. In this blog, we will discuss the various types of aircraft actuation systems that are commonly present in the aviation sector, allowing you to best understand their functionalities and design.