Motor shaft voltages can cause damage to the components around them. For instance, if a shaft’s voltage surpasses the insulation capabilities of nearby cables or parts, this can result in both acute and long-term damage to the motor bearings. High voltages may even lead to arcing between the shaft and the bearing which can increase the temperature of the bearing. Metal bearings, in particular, can vaporize and become permanently damaged or pitted from this process. Read more >>

While in-flight entertainment (IFE) is now a staple of commercial aviation that is simply expected to be present by many passengers, aircraft did not always have such amenities. The first form of in-flight entertainment came about in the early 1960s when Trans World Airlines offered customers a movie viewing experience in-flight with the use of a 16mm film system with black and white TV monitors. From there, in-flight entertainment quickly evolved, becoming what we know today with personal display screen fixtures, audio jack availability for headphones, on-board Wi-Fi, and so much more. In this blog, we will discuss current in-flight entertainment solutions and future trends, allowing you to better see how IFE will continue to evolve. Read more >>

Aircraft maintenance is an important procedure, ensuring that such vehicles are well-looked over for any potential issues that may detract from performance, airworthiness, and general safety. As some aircraft may be large and complex, the maintenance procedure has become more robust. With increases in technology, devices such as drones have been introduced to the maintenance procedure, allowing for various increases in efficiency. In this blog, we will discuss the introduction of drone surveillance systems, allowing you to better understand the role that they have begun to undertake in regard to aircraft maintenance. Read more >>

A bearing is a common machine element found in countless assemblies, often serving to mitigate the friction generated between moving parts while also constraining motion as needed. Within the realm of aviation, bearings are commonly used due to their durable and lightweight properties, and they are present in a number of assemblies ranging from the engines of an aircraft to its wings. While coming in the form of a small component, the properties and functionalities of bearings make them an indispensable part of any aircraft. In this blog, we will discuss aircraft bearings and the various types that are commonly used for assemblies, allowing you to better understand the roles that they play for flight operations. Read more >>

A rotary-wing aircraft, or rotorcraft, is a type of heavier-than-air aircraft that features rotary wings or blades. Unlike typical fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft produce lift through the means of rotating their wings or blades around a vertical mast. Depending on one’s particular needs or application, there are a few common types of rotorcraft one may use, including those such as helicopters, autogyros, and gyrodynes. In this blog, we will provide an overview of the primary rotorcraft types, discussing the configurations and capabilities of each so that you may best understand them. Read more >>