ASAP Parts Online Blog

Drones are important tools that have risen in popularity over the past few decades, serving as unmanned aerial vehicles that can perform in a wide variety of applications, their use ranging from simple hobbies to scientific research endeavors. Many drones utilize batteries for power, ensuring that they have the ability to drive and operate propeller assemblies and other systems that enable flight and control. As the battery is essential for carrying out operations, it is important that users understand how to properly care for them. With optimal maintenance, drone batteries can have their service lives extended with ease. 

While flying in rainy weather is not an immediate call for concern, it is important that pilots are able to maintain visuals outside of the cockpit to the best of their ability for the means of safety. Depending on the aircraft, rain may be removed from the windshield in varying ways, common equipment including windshield wiper equipment, chemical rain repellent, pneumatic rain removal equipment, or windshields with hydrophobic surface coatings. Aircraft may have one or a combination of these aircraft rain control systems, and understanding how they are used is important for any current or prospective pilot. 

The electrical system is a complex network of wires and devices that plays a vital role in every aircraft. Without an electrical system, a modern aircraft would be limited in its capabilities and functionalities.  The electrical system is responsible for the operations of lights and other vital systems, including GPS, communication systems, and all the functional features of avionics systems. Additionally, electrical systems also support mundane processes such as engine ignition and the functionality of the auxiliary fuel pump.

Relays are a common form of electrically operated switch capable of using single or multiple control signals to manage circuits through making and breaking contacts. While many types of relays consist of various moving parts that help facilitate operations, solid state relays, in particular, are a more specialized switching device that can switch between on and off states with the use of external voltage supplies to its control terminals. With their lack of moving components, solid state relays exhibit much longer service lives, making them a fairly reliable option for many applications. To help you decide whether or not a solid state relay is the right fit for your needs, we will discuss their functionality and design in more detail.

The aerospace supply chain that facilitates production is a robust global system, encompassing the many entities that design and sell essential materials and commodities. The supply chain is broken down into three levels or tiers of suppliers, those of which ensure the continued operations of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and the military alike. In this blog, we will discuss the various tiers of the aerospace supply chain and the entities that benefit from them, allowing you to better understand how the industry as a whole functions.

While computer hardware and electronic parts have continuously been improved to reach new heights of power and compact construction, they still require proper heat management to prevent the chance of facing damage during operations. While a cooling fan may be beneficial for creating air flow, there are other devices that may be used to more efficiently mitigate thermal buildup. These devices are heat sinks, those of which are beneficial for the cooling of quick-heating devices and centralized points of heat.

Shrinking in size throughout the decades to accommodate various products and machinery, many electronics now pack more capabilities while in the form of a smaller package. Packing just as much punch as compared to older, larger model electronic equipment, parts like resistors have become discrete and serve as the backbone to many circuits. As two-terminal electrical components that impose an electrical resistive force, resistors are designed to be a part of a circuit assembly as monitoring tools. Used to adjust signal levels, current flow, divide voltages, bias active elements, terminate transmission lines, and a plethora of other helpful tasks, resistors are ubiquitous in electronics and necessary for safely affecting current.

Sensors are common to a number of applications, coming in the form of devices, machines, modules, or subsystems that are capable of detecting a change or event that occurs in a specific environment. With the information that they garner, sensors then relay data to electronics for the means of carrying out a process, displaying a value, etc. Sensors can come in numerous forms, ranging from devices that detect the presence of an individual for opening a door to thermistors that measure temperature. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of common sensors, their applications, and suppliers, allowing you to find the best fit for your particular needs.

Resistors are common electronic components that are implemented in countless devices and systems, used for establishing electrical resistance within a circuit. Depending upon their type of resistor and application, such components may serve to reduce current flow, manage signal levels, bias active elements, divide voltages, and much more. Carbon composition resistors in particular are a common fixed resistor type, serving various devices and assemblies since the early 20th century. In this blog, we will discuss carbon composition resistors, ensuring that you have a well-developed understanding of their construction, functionalities, and applications.

An integrated circuit (IC) refers to an assembly of electronic circuits that are placed onto a single flat piece of semiconductor material. Commonly comprising a vast number of MOSFETs that are placed on a small chip, integrated circuits allow for more compact and less expensive electronics that operate with higher speeds as compared to similar devices that rely on discrete components. Coupled with reliable mass production capabilities for such devices, integrated circuits serve as a common building block for countless electronic equipment types, revolutionizing the world of electronics.

Electronic devices have consistently advanced over the years with new capabilities and increased efficiency, all made possible through the various electrical components that make them up. There are numerous electrical components that serve as basic building blocks for circuits, and each has different functionalities that come together to make the device’s operations possible. Whether the electronic is a simple calculator or an advanced personal computer system, many devices will share much of the same components for their electrical circuits. In this blog, we will provide a brief overview of the most common electrical components that are found in various electronics and projects.

An opto-isolator is an electrical component that may also be referred to as an otpo-coupler or photocoupler. Regardless of name, such components are used to transfer electrical signals between two isolated circuits with light as the medium. As semiconductor devices, the transfer of signals is achieved through the use of a short optical path or link that is electrically isolated. Photocouplers or opto-couplers regularly come in the form of a single package, and they are no larger than a standard integrated circuit. As a common component for numerous circuits that may assist solid state relays, optical encoders, and other electronic components, understanding the functionality and use of opto-isolators, opto-couplers, and photocouplers can be beneficial.

From the LED lights that provide visibility to those that are used for television screens and signs, such electronic parts can cater to many applications that we regularly use or rely on in daily life. While small in size, a single LED can produce a large amount of light with great efficiency. As LEDs can come in a variety of forms to accommodate different requirements and applications, understanding the differences between certain LED light types can be useful when searching for lighting solutions.

RF Connectors (Radio Frequency), also known as coax connectors, are used to transmit radio frequency signals by connecting transmission lines to various applications. RF connectors are primarily used with coaxial cables in devices such as television receivers, two-way radios, antenna WiFi devices, and various industrial & scientific measuring devices. In this blog, we will take a look at the most common types of RF connectors: BNC, SMA, SMB, N-type, and TNC.

For electronics to carry out the various procedures that they are intended to be capable of, they often rely on a number of electromechanical components to govern voltages and resistance. With components known as resistors, a circuit may have its current flow reduced, signal levels adjusted, voltages divided, transmission lines terminated, and more. When there is a need for varying voltage values and resistances, components known as variable resistors and potentiometers are used.

A thermistor, whose name comes from ‘thermal’ and ‘resistor,’ is a type of resistor whose resistance depends on temperature. For all intents and purposes, a thermistor is a resistance thermometer. They are made from metallic oxide formed into a bead, disk, or cylindrical shape enclosed in epoxy or glass. While they do not work well at extreme temperatures, thermistors are ideal for measuring temperatures at a certain point and are most precise when used within a limited range. The range in which a thermistor will work is dependent on the base resistance.

A potentiometer, sometimes called a pot or potmeter, is a three-terminal variable resistor wherein the resistance is manually varied to control the flow of electrical current. In essence, a potentiometer acts as an adjustable voltage divider. They are considered a passive electronic component and operate by altering the position of a sliding contact across a uniform resistance. In a potentiometer, the entire input voltage is applied across the entire length of the resistor, and the output voltage is determined by voltage drop between the fixed and sliding contacts.

From simple calculators to complex computer systems, we often rely on a great number of electronic systems to carry out our daily activities. Despite this, many may not realize the large number of parts and components that come together to make up the devices that we use. As one of the building blocks of electronics, integrated circuits are a component that may be found in almost every single piece of electronic equipment, vastly changing our capabilities of manufacturing such devices. In this blog, we will discuss in detail what integrated circuits are, how they function, and the various types that are used within electronics.

A relay is a type of switch controlled by a circuit. Essentially, relays send messages telling a machine to start. For example, when a car is started, the ignition only indirectly interacts with the car battery, because a relay is sending the signal that tells the car to start. Relays are necessary parts for many electrical devices because they require less power to be used than many of the devices they are connected to. Using a car battery as an example again, if the battery were connected directly to the car’s ignition, it would require a great deal of power and wiring to start the car. With a relay, a far smaller amount is needed, because it is only a mediator. In addition to saving energy, this is a much safer way of starting the car than having a great deal of wiring and electrical power.

Optoelectronics is a field that concerns itself with the study and use of electronic systems and devices that are capable of producing, governing, and detecting light. As a sub-field of photonics, optoelectronics encompasses light such as visible light, X-rays, ultraviolet, infrared, gamma rays, and more. As a technology, optoelectronic devices serve a wide variety of applications and are constantly expanding as a field of study in the modern era. In this blog, we will provide an overview of the various types of optoelectronics, as well as some various examples of devices belonging to them.

Power Entry Modules (PEM) are electromechanical components that are implemented within appliances and systems in order to integrate the appliance inlet with other components. In general, these components include switches, circuit breakers, fuse holders, voltage selectors, appliance outlets, and more. Power entry modules may be used to simplify the assembly process, or they may be used to benefit the product design.

Electromechanical systems that are systems and apparatuses that are used to transform electrical energy into mechanical movement, as well as the other way around. Typical examples of electromechanical systems are solenoids and electric motors, and they may be found in a variety of industries and applications to provide actuation or movement. Such systems may cater to a number of applications, providing for devices such as electromechanical panel controls or electromechanical switches. In general, there are four major types of electromechanical systems, and these include motors and gearboxes, DC generators, shape memory alloy actuators, and linear actuators.

Turbine engines are favored for the many advantages that they have over reciprocating engines, such as an increased aviation performance, less vibration, and better reliability. There are many different types of turbine engines in the aviation market. They are classified based on their compressor and on whether or not they have axial flow, centrifugal flow or a combination of both. They can also be classified based on the flow that the air takes through the engine and how that power is produced. There are only four ways in which this flow can happen and you can find out more about that by learning about the four different types of turbine engines, which are the turbojet, turboprop, turbofan and turboshaft.

The function of an analog input, also known as an AI or AIN, is to convert voltage levels of an item into a digital value that can be processed and stored inside of a computer. An AO or analog output, on the other hand, does the opposite in that it converts the digital value from a computer into a voltage level that is presented on an output terminal so as to provide an adjustable output.

A board stacking connector, sometimes known as a board to board connector or simply PCB connector, is an item that provides a foundation, housing, and terminals for printed circuit boards. Manufacturers in the industry will use board stacking connectors because it enables them to utilize more than one printed circuit board while simultaneously keeping them organized and condensed. By stacking the printed circuit boards on top of one another, you can save space inside of your computer or wherever else you are placing your printed circuit boards

Transformers are electrical devices that allow an AC input signal (like audio) to produce a related AC output signal without the input and output being physically connected. This phenomenon is called inductive coupling. Inductive coupling occurs by having two or more coils of insulated wire wound around a magnetic metal core. These wire coils are called windings. When an AC input passes through the input winding (the primary), a related AC out signal appears on the output winding (the secondary). This wireless magnetic field communication is preferred over expensive and inefficient downtimes of physical connectors that wear down quickly due to mating and de-mating. In this article, we will focus on transformers designed for audio.

With the debut of GPS for the consumer and business market, the technology has seen tremendous growth in its use and applications. From smartphones to vehicles, GPS services are often just a click away and can provide life saving information. Within marine equipment, GPS can now help increase safety and navigation while traversing the open waters. As the years go by, technology for marine navigation is constantly improving as well. In this blog, we will give a short overview of the various types of GPS and navigational systems that can be used for vessels.

In any electric circuit breaker, resistors play a key role in managing the flow of electricity. Sometimes however, an electrical engineer only wants to limit certain amounts of current, rather than a blanket level. In these cases, the designers or engineers will install a varistor, a voltage-dependent resistor. A portmanteau of “variable resistor,” a varistor’s resistance decreases as the voltage flowing through it increases. In the case of an excessive voltage increase, their resistance drops dramatically, making them very useful serving as transient voltage suppression, which can be caused by natural phenomena like lightning strikes and electrostatic discharges.

Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) describes the maintenance activities conducted regarding aircraft and aviation. Often, MRO are professional services provided by a variety of businesses and experts, working with different segments of aviation including business and commercial aircraft, helicopters, military, and more. For aircraft in general, there are various set FAA guidelines for required inspection, repair, and overhaul to ensure that aircraft remain airworthy and safe to operate. MRO is an important service to ensure aircraft remain airworthy, and these providers play a very integral role in supply chain management.

National Stock Numbers (NSNs) are assigned by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, which is a sub-branch of the U.S. Department of Defense. All items that are stocked, sourced, and procured within the U.S federal supply system is assigned an NSN by the DLA. A manufacturer can not request an NSN. Instead, there must be an official need for the component from either the U.S. military itself, a government contractor, or a NATO country. Also known as NATO number, NSNs are officially recognized by all the NATO countries. Although a U.S. based program, components manufactured outside the U.S. are eligible for NSNs.

Derived from the term “thermally sensitive resistor,” thermistors are accurate and cost-effective sensors for measuring temperatures. Thermistors are available as negative temperature coefficient (NTC), and positive temperature coefficient (PTC), with NTC thermistors being the more commonly-used. NTC thermistors have their resistance decrease as their temperature increases, while PTC thermistors’ resistance increases as their temperature increases.

What goes up must inevitably come back down. An aircraft’s landing gear ensures that the “coming back down” part ends safely and allows the aircraft to maneuver safely on the ground. Landing gear on aircraft comes in several different types and configurations, which this blog will explore.

The increasing complexity of aircraft engine systems has facilitated more requirements of proper lubrication. Aircraft engines require lubrication to prevent friction from reducing the engines’ efficiency; oil is the lifeblood of the engine. If the oil flow to the bearings stops, the lubricating films break down and cause degradation, wear and tear, and burning between moving parts. Fortunately, the engine fuel pump and oil system are very reliable. Like the circulatory system of the human body, they quietly perform their functions.

Within each flight cycle, an aircraft fuel system must deliver clean fuel to the engine at a proper flow rate to sustain flight— regardless of the operating conditions. A fuel system is composed of boost pumps, tanks, strainers, selector valves, pressure gauges, engine-driven pumps, and more.

In order to ensure optimal performance of your drone, it is important to consider battery care. Most drones run off of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or lithium-polymer battery. There are a few common tips that manufacturers recommend preserving a battery’s power capacity. Take note of the following suggestions to ensure battery efficiency and longevity.

Aircraft are under a constant state of stress when logging flight hours. Boeing aircraft, for example, have the ability to fly upwards of 14 hours non-stop and their lifetime can extend anywhere from 20 - 27 years in operation. In this time, an aircraft will experience about 35,000 pressurization cycles and will undergo the associated, and often expected, degradation and parts fatigue. So, how do modern aircraft maintain their reliability and safety over time?

Despite the millions of dollars it costs to fly and maintain, aircraft have a surprisingly short lifespan with an average of around 30 years. Once the aircraft has to be retired, they go to boneyards— large plots of land where airplanes are parked until further notice. It’s interesting to learn about what happens at the world's largest boneyard— how aircraft life is determined and how retired planes are salvaged for parts.

When preparing for a flight, there are many things to worry about and consider like packing luggage, arriving at the airport on time, fitting the carry-ons in the overhead compartment, and so on. The one thing no one really thinks about and often does automatically, that’s boarding. And no matter if it’s the massive Airbus A380 or the luxurious Embraer Lineage 1000E, when we board a plane, we board on the left side. But most of us can’t even begin to explain why.

The efficiency of a gas turbine cycle rises as the turbine entry temperature is increased. Because of this, the hotter the combustion gases that go in to the first turbine stage, the more particular power the jet engine can create. In a modern engine, about twenty percent of compressed air bleeds off for cooling and sealing purposes. This is mostly for guide vanes and turbine blades. The stators and the outer wall of a turbine’s flow passage utilize cooling air moving from the compressor between the combustor and casing of the outer engine.

Earlier in the year, The Boeing Company finished up the flight tests for the newest model of the KC-46 Pegasus wide-body, a plane used to re-fuel other squad member’s during flight. Now they are waiting on word from the FAA to see if their new tankers can fly legally. More certifications are needed on this aircraft than normal because it is classified as a tanker, meaning it may take longer for the tanker to become airworthy.

Boeing Service restores its overseas crusader with an even larger aircraft The beginning of transatlantic flights began in 1919 and progressed over the years with bigger and more efficient aircrafts. One of the more modern accomplishments to date is the implementation of Boeings 747 jumbo aircraft to their transatlantic excursion from Austin, Texas to Heathrow, London. This daily nonstop flight was added to British Airways in March of 2014 which departs from Austin’s- Bergstrom International Airport.

Lake Forest, CA has been home to the testing of Panasonics third generation Ku-Band satellite network. This new innovative system will be allowed for Panasonic to be able to reach the needs of its customers but also be able to stay on top of the rapidly evolving industry of airborne network connectivity. It has been stated that a handful of airlines will be converting over to Panasonics new network following the completion of the satellite. The transitioning from the airlines will take place during the first part of 2018.

An avid travelers worst fear is arriving upon boarding and experiencing a delay on the onboarding process. Airbus has created new way of allowing the customer to witness the aircraft they will flying upon before even boarding. Introducing an IOS compliant IflyA380 application for Apple smart devices created to revolutionize the way of interacting with the aircraft. The application will give the passenger a live report to keep them on top of their flight.

Allegiant Travel Company is looking for twelve A320s. The company is trying to snatch up some used models to keep the cost of their conversion to a fleet containing a single type of aircraft, as low as possible. At the end of 2017, Allegiant Travel Company will have a fleet containing eighty-nine planes. Thirty-seven of which are McDonnell-Douglas MD-80’s. Once 2018 rolls around the McDonnel-Douglas aircrafts will be dropped from the fleet and will be replaced with Airbus planes, and by 2020 Allegiant Travel Company will be manning a fleet of 110 aircrafts.

Airbus was founded in December 1970 and today it became one of the most important names in the aerospace industry. Airbus designs, manufactures and delivers aerospace products and services to customers around the globe. Apart from its main civil aeroplane business, the company has two divisions : Space and Defence as well as Helicopter. Airbus manufactures and markets Airbus A320 which is the first commercially practical digital fly-by-wire airliner, in addition to the largest passenger airliner, Airbus A380 in the world.

China is making history by being the first country that sets the largest amphibious aircraft into flight. Chinese officials have all the last-minute preparations happening in the city of Zhuhai, which can be found in the Guangdong province in Southern China.

Aircraft Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) plans to launch a regional airliner within the next five years that will be all-composite. They are researching potential for 100 plus seat passenger aircraft in a five-year time span after the launch of the airliner. Chief executive Temel Kotil stated he was setting a different timeline for the aircraft than the airline, because his workers will have more experience after these next five years. Due to all the needed information and knowledge that passenger aircrafts require to build, only after that five-year timeline can they start developing the passenger aircrafts. Their focus for now is on defense, and that is something they are very successful with for the time being. Not only will the decade long plan have 100 plus seat aircrafts, but these aircrafts will be made from full-composite materials.

The FAA has recently approved a Universal Avionics Insight Display System. Created for a more user-friendly operation and for a better manual performance.

World renown leasing aircraft company Company has finalized their decsion on inputting the latest GEnx engine into a Boeing 787. The Genx Engine is one of the newest, most innovative engines that promotes eco friendliness along with being very fuel efficient. The Boeing 787 will be built for GE Aviation use as they promote “eco imagination.” Ecomagination is GE Aviation’s standards of being more efficient and more ecofriendly with all their projects and products.

Airbus, an international pioneer in the aerospace industry, has collaborated with Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a company that delivers manufacturing solutions, to create 3-D printed polymer components for its A350 XWB aircraft. Stratasys will use its production- grade thermoplastics to build strong, long lasting and stable parts required for the aircraft. Stratasys will also employ its ULTEM 9085 material to print the components needs for system installation. This agreement and the use of 3-D printed parts will allow Airbus to achieve supply cost flexibility and competitiveness. It will also reduce material consumption and waste, making it a great investment for the environment.

Boeing, the world’s largest and leading aircraft company, recently completed its KC-46 tanker electromagnetic testing. The testing team included the US Airforce and the Naval air systems command. The testing was conducted to determine whether or not the aircraft would operate safely while going through electromagnetic fields produced by radars, radio towers and other systems under mission conditions. The KC-46 tanker has multiple hard-shell shielding technologies that are all designed into the aircraft to nullify any bad effects on the aircraft.

In this advanced day of gaming having the top computer technology goes a long way. Yorkshire based sensing firm Peratech designed the world’s first computer mouse with force-sensitive analogue buttons called the Z mouse of Swiftpoint. It is the first mouse with pivot, tilt and roll, letting user to access dozens of different button actions while barely moving their fingers. Peratech’s intellectual property is around a group of elastomers dubbed ‘quantum tunneling composites. The mouse buttons have been branded ‘Deep Click’ and are used with the mouse’s built-in tactile feedback. One of the benefits for gamers is it includes the configuring activation force and the ability to control throttle or speed when driving, flying or running. Integrated scope and zoom control is now possible, and gamers can use a normal click for a light attack or a harder click for heavy attack.

In the south of Spain lies the Morón Air Base. this is where Airbus leading aircraft manufacturer just completed noise tests for their A35-100 model between March 27 and April 5. As part of its type certification flight test campaign. These tests are being conducted prior to the Airbus aircraft model’s entry into service, projected to happen before the end of this year.

Honeywell Aerospace leading manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics. They also produce auxiliary power units and other miscellaneous aviation products.

Home to 59 twin-engine UH-1N helicopters, The Air Force is preparing for an increase in their current inventory. The existing helicopters first entered service 1970. They are currently being used for security at a number of nuclear missile sites. The Air Force defense contractors are currently in preparation to release proposals for more than 80 helicopters to be added to the existing inventory. This comes under service’s UH-1N Huey Replacement Program. A draft request for proposals is being anticipated for release in April, with the final plan to follow this summer. A contract is planned to be presented in 2018, with deliveries to begin one year later.

The General Electric CF6-80 engine was introduced in 1982 as a 52,500 – 63,500 lb. thrust engine meant to power mid and large size aircraft like the Boeing 767 and Airbus A330. The engine has aged well despite newer and more fuel-efficient models because of cheap fuel costs and passenger demand for long distance high capacity flights. Ultimately the engines will be phased out, but units are not uncommonly going through their second overhaul at MRO’s for GE CF6-70 engines. That’s an estimated 80,000 hours in flight or 9 years.  Globally, the market for GE CF6-80 engines is only expected to shrink by 8% in 2021, meaning MRO shops will be busy for years to come.

On March 14^th 2017, there was an article posted on New Electronics by Neil Tyler that talks about how NXP Semiconductors Dutch global semiconductor manufacturer, launched automotive grade tools and software to support the ARM Cortex-based MCU. These automotive grade tools are part of the S32K1 family.

Finding technical solutions might sound like a boring task but if it wasn’t for these tasks we would have never had all these smart gadgets and technologies that makes our lives much easier and more productive. What we couldn’t do a hundred years ago as a population or people on this planet; one man can do today because of how much information, knowledge and innovation we have created, it made all what we have today seem to be natural or part of life. Millitech is a company with more than 25 years of technical solutions experience that has created solution requirements that will modify current component designs and is able to fabricate certain characteristics of special components in order to come out with a better product. Recently Millitech has introduced a new Millimeter-Wave Assemblies (MMWAs) to the Aerospace and aviation industry.

Helicopters are a great asset to any consumer, and the US Navy has a high demand in utilizing helicopters for many reasons. Military helicopters are designed by a number of companies but recently Bell Helicopter has been assigned by the US Navy to design and assemble the AH-1Z military helicopter, also known as AH-1Z attack helicopter, and other related avionic work for the U.S Marine Corps under a contract by the U.S Navy for $49 million. The U.S Navy officials are requesting Bell Helicopter to order enough parts to build 27 Bell AH-1Z Attack Helicopters. Without mentioning the features of the AH-1Z but the helicopter features a four blade rotor system and an additional twin-engine which is based off the Super Cobra AH-1W helicopter. The AH-1Z also has an upgraded transmission and a new targeting system. Having said that the aircraft is going to have a whole new range of precision weapons that will utilize the new target indicator which can locate far away targets with great precision.

Conflicts are a huge problem that people in the aerospace industry must deal with, which can make things difficult because certain companies might not want to sell you their parts. This can be difficult because they might be the only supplier with that specific part, so you are out of luck and won’t be able to get that part. Currently the U.S. is dealing with a problem that is catching up to the fifth-generation fighter aircraft capabilities. This situation is putting the F-35 fighter jet program at risk to ongoing cyber vulnerabilities. If the United States does not figure out a way to diversify or improve their advantage in the stealth and weapon capacity, then other competitors will be passing them up and taking the lead. So, they are going to take the good from the fourth generation and their new ideas to create a fifth generation that stands out from the other threats.

This month a division of United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney announced that it will invest roughly $386 million dollars into its Columbus, Georgia facility. This investment will increase production of parts and also the maintenance services and this will also reduce existing and new engine programs. With many equipment upgrades, construction of two new buildings and purchase of new automated machinery. The largest new area will be constructed for the facility to overhaul GTF engines with over 200,000 square feet to work with. This will include a 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility for specialized parts, and an area to develop turbine disks and compressor rotors for Pratt & Whitney Engines.

NanoRacks and Boeing to join forces to create the first privately funded commercial airlock. This could possibly enable the U.S. to triple the number of small deployed satellites from the International Space Station during only one single airlock. NanoRacks has selected Boeing to create and install the new airlock on the international space station. This new airlock is currently being manufactured at the Alabama Boeing facility along with other engineering services required for development. Safety, operations, quality assurance, avionics along with mechanical design and of course the final assembly of the airlock. The NanoRacks airlock will be permanently installed onboard the International Space Station once fully developed with an estimated launch date of 2019.

Cathay Pacific Airways has to choose a supplier for their e-Enabled, airborne global connectivity program and they have chosen Avionica because they have a very strong experience in STC development and finding solutions for e-Enablement installation. Cathay Pacific has choose to spread their e-Enabled system across their various airplanes including the Boeing 777, Boeing 747, Airbus 320 and Airbus 330 airplanes. Avionica will become a single solution to the e-Enablement hardware and software across all their airplanes. Cathay Pacific is very excited for Avionica to come on board with this project because they will provide solutions to all the connectivity and hardware concerns that Cathay will have. Avionica has a very good reputation in STC integration and they have very good experience in designing data packages which is one of the highest quality there is.

On December 7th 2016, Bohemia Interactive wrote an article talking about how Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is working on creating a flight training and mission rehearsals through their Virtual Battlespace or VBS. Bohemia Interactive Simulations is a leader in military training and simulation software.

The Boeing Company is considered to be an American multinational corporation. they are known to design manufacture and sell airplanes, roborant, rockets ad satellites worldwide. They are known to also provide easing and products support services. They are considered to be one of the largest exporters in the USA, they have been able to keep their high reputation for so many years. They headquarter are in Chicago. They have 5 different divisions. Each one is responsible for something else. There is the Boeing commercial airlines, Boeing Defense space and security Engineering, operations and technology. They have many other more and they are ranked to be one of best within a nation. They recently helped ABS to ender satellite service which will help deliver in-home communications services across Asia, Africa and Russia, south Asia, and Middle East.

We all know manufacturing airplanes is hard. It has been a tough ever since 1903 to come up with a perfect airplane. There are many opportunities and chances for improvements. Many engineers and intelligent people have been working on developing the best planes. They always have ideas on how to make it better. There are many weird aspects in an airplane and it takes a long time to builds the perfect airplane. When you go in a place there are many things that are built to make sure that the airplane functions perfectly for example, instructions to not using our phone, or seat belts, or warning us for takeoff and dimming the lights. finally, even the fact that they have tiny holes in the windows is pretty cool.

Gulfstream aerospace has been around for a long time. They have been creating and delivering the world’s finest aviation experience. It has been leading the evolution of the business and aviation since 1958 debuted of the Gulfstream.

Andreas Rupprecht, a known Chinese aviation expert and Regular Aircraft contributor has recently published pictures of a newly discovered Chinese air-launched missile under the wing of the Shenyang J-16 fighter. Analysts believe it is a big one at about 6m long based.

Airbus and Arconic have agreed to enter into two agreements for the production of 3D-printed metal parts and components. Both types of parts will be produced of two different types of materials such as high-temp nickel super alloys and titanium for the aircrafts parts that will be used on the Airbus’ commercial aircraft. These parts that are in the process of being produced are to be used on the A320 Airbus aircraft family. The material of the products was determined for certain reasons by Airbus to be used on their aircrafts such the nickel super alloy.

President Elect Mr. Donald Trump has put much thought into his advisory and has his eye on a certain Senator to be placed to lead the pentagon. US Senator Mr. Thomas Cotton, who served as an infantry officer on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The choices for who to put in the Sectary of Defense position where varied from retired generals and many more contenders. There has already been some speculation about Cotton replacing the US nuclear triad with newer models. “replace aging B-52 bombers with the new B-21 Raider and take a hard line against Iran.”

If people have reached a very high level of technology and helicopters have become very useful in numerous aspects of life from personal use, to emergencies, to military, armed forces, to industrial and corporate use. A Helicopter is not only useful but it can be essential in some cases. Aurora Flight Sciences is determined to find ways to develop new and advanced ways to fly vertically from the ground without the help or the need for a pilot. This system has been at work for many years where people are trying to achieve autonomous flight system for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). This project is being planned to create an unmanned UH-1H helicopter, an UH-1H helicopter that is fully capable with advanced VTOL systems making it one of the few helicopters of its kind.

We don’t usually think about light but people began to learn about light more than a thousand years ago. What are the characteristics of light and is the light we see the only light that exist? This was discovered by one of the most famous physicist of all time, Isaac Newton. When he was studying the different wavelengths of light he was experimenting with the different characteristics of the colors of the rainbow. He discovered that at every wavelength or every color of the rainbow carries different energy and the way he found that out is by placing a thermometer under each color. He had a piece of crystal that can reflect the suns light to all the colors of the rainbow on the table he placed it placed on. He placed a thermometer under each color and he saw a steady increase of temperature as he moved from one color to the next. The most interesting thing is that after he passed all the colors he placed the thermostat on the table close to the rainbow but not under any of the colors reflected from the crystal, what he saw was astonishing because the thermostat had the highest reading from all colors. That’s when the infrared light was discovered.

Airports are expensive and a lot of work goes into establishing the busy suitable airport for customers. It requires a lot of effort into establishing a good airport, recently British Airways announced that they are investing 110 Millions into the airport. This is done to better the airport experience for customers. The most important thing is the customer experience. Because if they like what they see and are comfortable with their travels they will manage to travel with them again. Therefore, British Airways announcement about the improvement that will be affecting JFK terminal 7 will better and improve the customer journey.

After a long consideration and planning, in spring of 2017 Rockwell Collins will officially take ownership of B/E Aerospace. Rockwell believes that this is an investment worth making, $8.3 billion is money well spent when it comes to investing into one of the most successful and significant leader in aircraft interior manufacturer that designs, develops and manufactures interior of cabin lights, oxygen systems, food or kitchen equipment and toilet equipment. They do this for commercial and business aircrafts. This can be a great addition to Rockwell Collins as Rockwell specializes in Cabin equipment such as electronics, flight deck avionics, communication systems, and information systems. These technologies get manufactured and designed with the manufacturing and design of the aircraft, therefore; making Rockwell Collins dependent on aircraft production rate. Having said that, B/E Aerospace is not dependent on Aircraft production rate, however they are driven by airlines needs and wants. B/E Aerospace deals with a lot more productions of components that wasn’t included in the original manufacturing.

Lufthansa finally takes the plundge to obtain the remaining 55% of SN Airholding that the Belguim based Brussel Airlines had to offer. The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG has finally approved and agreed to go through with obtaining the rest of SN, a holding company of The Belgain Airline. As the 2008 Lufthansa primarily owned 45 % of Brussel Airlines and has now approved to be processed by the early of next year Aircraft Propellers And Components. The decisions have still not been yet completed solely based on the approval of the SN shareholder’s opinions on the matter.

On Sept 29, 2016 Country E. Howard wrote an article for Intelligent Aerospace talking about how Harris Corporation and Boeing are teaming up in order to provide their service for future military aircrafts. They are working on advanced core missions that includes aircrafts communications, sensors, displays, and navigation.

Chris Pocock write an article for AIN Online on September 8th 2016, talking about how Lord Corporation is providing a newly improved vibration control system of IVCS for the Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Completion of this program milestones under a contract that was rewarded by Boeing in late 2013.

Airbus Helicopter has dived into a new futuristic endeavor. As one of the leaders in the aeronautical industry, this new project does not seem so far reaching. Airbus plans on designing a self-flying taxi with an entire independent drone network. To step things up on this already ambitious plan, the firm plans testing for the flying taxi to begin by early 2017.

On September 6th 2016, an article was released on Defence Blog talking about how VR Technologies Design Bureau has development an unmanned aerial vehicle that looks similar to the drone from the movie, Terminator. VR Technologies Design Bureau is part of Russian Helicopters JSC. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a tiltrotor. The drone has been dubbed the RHV-35 which was shown for display at the International Military and Technical Forum ARMY 2016.

An Abu Dhabi airport welcomes the Solar Impulse 2 plane as it lands from its journey around the world. This remarkable journey helps the Solar Impulse 2 make its way in to the record books being the in several aspects. The Solar impulse 2 is a plane made out of carbon fiber which is solar powered by panels that have up to 17,248 solar cells to generate the plane. For night traveling the aircraft is able to recharge four lithium polymer batteries through the solar cells installed on the plane.

The Bell 505 jet ranger X is an exciting helicopter that continues to raise interest in Latin America due to its capabilities, designed to be a safe aircraft, reliable and contains advanced avionic technology. The Paraguayan industrial group Signiture S.R.L. has decided to add the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X to its fleet. The Boeing Aircraft Parts combines an active avionic design with active components and a dual channel FADEC Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine. The features don’t end here, the Bell 505 Jet Ringer X has a cabin size that accommodates the operator of the helicopter as well as any VIP passengers or business executives that appreciate a state of the art flight dick and travels fast with a superb range. The Bell 505 helicopter also has upgradable options such as synthetic vision, helicopter terrain avoidance system, second VHF com radio, and traffic advisory system.

There has been a couple of decades where the tech companies have been focused on electronics such as computers, cell phones and TVs. Specially cell phones have developed tremendously in the past decade and became smart phones to the point where societies all around the world have become dependent on them. However, smart phones have been developed to a point where not much can be done to improve on them anymore.

Bell Helicopter has confirmed the first test aircraft and flight belonging to the 525 relentless programme has crashed and killed two company test pilots in central Texas on July 6th. This tragedy is another a major setback in the yearlong effort to certificate the first application of fly-by-wire technology for a commercial helicopter. Bell released a statement via Twitter informing the public that they are working with the relevant authorities on the case in order to determine the cause of this horrible accident.

Kelsey D. Atherton wrote an article for Popular Science on July 29, 2016 which talks about how there is an engineer from California that is working to build a flying car that is based off of the gyrocopter. The engineer is named Dezso Molnar. The Bell Helicopter looks similar to the skeleton of an automobile. On the body of the skeletal car is a pusher propeller which needs an active rotor on top.

On June 30th 2016, Aviation Pros wrote an article from PRNEWSWIRE talking about how 700 of local business leaders went to celebrate Boeing’s 100th anniversary. These 700 local business leaders were from the Pacific Northwest. Included into the 700 local business leaders was Alaska Airlines. The local business leaders celebrated at the Museum of Flight. At the Museum of Flight, there was a release of the new Alaska 737 which was painted in a special edition centennial paint color scheme.

Astronics corporation a subsidiary of Astonics Max- Viz's Engine Fuel System Components Nonaircraft, releases their latest EVS (enhanced vision system) going by the X1 + HR. This system is said to intensify vision for innovators building and experimenting aircrafts at home. Installed with a long wave infrared thermal imager with electronic zoom. The purpose behind this well designed system is to increase the amount that is seen more thorough and detected.

This blog will show you how to buy electronics online. Before the internet, many consumers went to the stores to buy electronic goods. However, now that the internet is a common service people use, many consumers these days use it to buy a variety of things. One of which is electronics. There are many ways to search and find parts to purchase online however this blog will give you the most simple idea of how to buy electronics online.

Boeing hosted a press conference at its Mesa, Arizona aircraft facility on June 7 that showcased the newly assembled AH-6i Little Bird attack and exploration helicopter. The Little Bird is planned to be delivered to Saudi Arabia at the end of June to the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG). Currently numbered 61001, the helicopter has recently undergone the last part of the assembly process but has yet to undergo flight testing. The final step is delivering it to Saudi Arabia, one of the recipients of the new upsurge of U.S. weaponry distribution. Boeing is currently working with the U.S. Army on an agreement to supply foreign buyers with 72 Little Birds.

The Navy has requested for their Boeing F/A-18E/F and EA-18G combat aircraft to be equipped with better transmitting technology. This innovation goes by Radio Frequency Blanking Unit (RFBU) and will allow an advanced receiving device to use two or more microwave/RF signals without interference with one another. The order to the Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in Saint Louis was placed on Wednesday May 18th 2016.

Lilium, a Munich based Start-up Company which is hosted in the Bonney Forge Corporation business incubator, has recently been developing the first of its kind vertical takeoff and landing aircraft intended for personal use. This aircraft has been designed to seat two passengers and will potentially open up the door to a new class of airplanes available from 2018.

On April 24th 2016, Adnan Farooqui released an article on Uber Gizmo that talks about NASA’s plans to launch a new program for the Green Aviation Technology. The program that NASA is planning to launch is the New Aviation Horizons and Miscellaneous Aircraft Accessories And Components”

At the Humans to Mars summit held in May of this year, Lockheed Martin announced that it will be joining SpaceX and NASA, just to name a few, in exploring Mars. Lockheed currently plans on building a staffed space laboratory that will orbit the red planet by 2028. A goal that is ambitious, not only because a manned mission to Mars has yet to take place but because they intend to beat NASA’s already anticipated goal by 2 years. This is Lockheed’s attempt to convince the space agency to implements the firm’s design plans before it sends astronauts to Mars in the 2030s.

Qatar Airways has announced that they canceled the order for the first Airbus Group SE’s A320neo plane. Qatar Airways as the initial launch customer and the airline was scheduled to receive the first plane of that order last year. On Friday, Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker cited months of delays to the single-aisle plane promised have allowed Qatar Airways to invoke a contractual cancellation clause. Even more troubling, the Doha-based airline who is one of Airbus’s biggest supporter and champion could potentially walk away from more A320neo orders once they have triggered the remaining walkaway clauses.

On June 5th 2016, Andreas Spaeth posted an article on Airways News. She wrote about on how June 3rd, a bunch of CEOs from top important airlines got together to sit in the same aircraft on a trip from Dublin to Zurich. The model of the plan that the CEOs of the airline companies took was the BBA505. June 3rd at a time during the IATA for the annual meeting at the Irish capital. This even is followed by a Chief Executive Board meeting of all Star Alliance in Switzerland.

Rockwell Collins, the American multinational company which provides information technology and avionics system and services, has recently announced that its Venue high-definition entertainment system as well as cabin management will be equipped on new Bombardier Global 6000 and Global 5000 aircrafts, beginning in the third quarter of 2016. This announcement was made at the 2016 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). Rockwell Collins’s Venue system will also be offered as a retrofit solution through Bombardier Service Centers for in-service Global aircraft models.

Embraer has just unveiled their new design for a revolutionary interior that is a massive upgrade from the cabins reminiscent of a pressurized metal tube and small port holes. Commercial and business jets with eight-figure price tags still offer very little in terms of allowing natural sunlight into the cabin and for most people the idea of flying is scary enough without your aircraft resembling a metal tomb or coffin. Embraer has heed the cries of its customers and has proposed a new interior design concept christened the Kyoto Airship. Embraer has proposed to outfit their new Lineage 1000 business jets with state of the art skylights and huge vertical windows to allow customers a view that is indeed fit for the gods. The Kyoto Airship interior is available for any customer interested in ordering the Lineage 1000 valued at $55 million dollars by Embraer.

Raytheon has confirmed the sale of 254 missiles worth over $260 million to Qatar’s Armed Forces. It is said by many that Raytheon will be receiving $34.3 million in profit in this sale. This was confirmed by the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

AvWeb, the World’s Premier Independent Aviation New Resource, released an article by Elaine Kauh on April 14th 2016, discussing about how the last space shuttle tank heads to California.

Just last week Foxconn Technology Group reached a deal to take over Sharp Corp. The company had previously announced their plans to go green and improve energy efficiency at their factories to introduce more solar power in China and India. While the issues with pollution are well-documented in China, very few changes are being made to address the already full-blown issue at hand. By merging with Sharp Corp. the Taiwanese electronics giant gains access and connections to a well-established brand name (Sharp Corp.) of which to sell its solar panels.

On April 05, 2016 at the annual Sun’n’Fun airshow in Lakeland, FL, Boeing announced the sale of 112 training aircrafts to the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation. UND Aerospace Foundation develops and provides aircraft training services to the UND John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. Piper Aircraft will deliver 112 single-engine Archer TXs and multi-engine Seminoles beginning Q4 of 2016, with a deal estimating at over $40 million.

On Friday, April 15th 2016, Juliet Van Wagenen released an article on Aviation Today about the FAA releasing new regulations. There are two new agency rules that the FAA has released with regards to aviation training devices and flight simulators. These new rules will aid in the improvement of the number of situations that are considered not normal that an airline pilot would be approached with. Not only this, but the rules also help pilots get more credit for the instruments needed for an instrument rating.

Airbus, the civil aircraft manufacturer, and Siemens, the largest engineering company in Europe, have recently announced that they will be collaborating in order to create electrically-powered airplanes. Both companies will be teaming up to form a group of 200 engineers who will be focusing on the development of electric propulsion for aircrafts, enabling such aircrafts to carry up to 100 passengers.

Pratt & Whitney came to an agreement with the government on April 11 to provide 53 engines for Lockheed Martin F-35As, F-35Cs, and F-35B. This contract is estimated of over $1 Billion. To top off this massive deal, Pratt & Whitney is set to come to an agreement with Pentagon for another order in the coming days.

In an alarming bit of space news, NASA revealed that their prized Kepler spacecraft has been in emergency mode for the past several days and they are now frantically trying to resuscitate it. The issue was first discovered by NASA ground controllers on Thursday April 7th. NASA had decided to adjust the Kepler spacecraft to point towards the center of the Milky Way, but when ground control issued the command, there are several manufacturers for production of space craft.

Microsemi Corp announced on Thursday March 24 that it will sell their Board Level Systems Business to Mercury System Inc. for $300 Million, straight cash homie. Microsemi Corp states that they were able to free up capital and are able divert more focus to developing proprietary technology, focusing in on aerospace/defense, communications, industrial, and storage.