ASAP Parts Online Blog

Located on the tips of many modern aircraft wings, winglets are small, upturned wingtip extensions that improve plane performance and efficiency. These distinct features are a common sight in aviation, but what is their purpose? To answer that question, we will explore their role and contribution to the overall performance of planes, ensuring that every aviation enthusiast or aspiring pilot recognizes their importance.

Bolts are a common form of fastener that may be found in a wide variety of industries and applications, generally being used to secure two or more parts together in an assembly with the assistance of a nut or other similar mating fastener. Depending on the application in question and one’s particular needs, there are a plethora of bolt types that one may take advantage of. For example, huck bolts are a common aerospace manufacturing fastener that some may be unfamiliar with, and they are advantageous for such applications as a result of their unique capabilities and design. In this blog, we will discuss huck bolts in more detail, allowing you to better understand their differences from standard bolts.

Aircraft are able produce the lift necessary to remain in flight, but they require additional lift while traveling at lower speeds, particularly during takeoff and landing. Fowler flaps are one of the several types of high-lift devices designed to produce essential additional lift during takeoff and landing. They are attached to the trailing edge of the aircraft wings, and when deployed, they slide back and down which increases the surface area of the wings to produce massive lift. Essentially, fowler flaps alter the wing shape of an aircraft to provide extra lift for takeoff and landing.

The aviation industry has a wide range of equipment, machinery, and systems that ensure aircraft are working optimally at all times. Found both inside and outside of aircraft, certain instruments and apparatuses are used for preflight, onboard flight, and postflight operations. Two examples of such appliances include auxiliary power units (APUs) and ground power units (GPUs). Often conflated with one another, APUs and GPUs are incredibly important pieces of service equipment that many aircraft take advantage of, and you should familiarize yourself with them. 

Typically, a pilot will not give over control of the aircraft to an automated system unless conditions require it. While this is not always the case, most pilots prefer manual operations during both flight and landing, rather than allowing the auto pilot to do the job. Regardless, most modern aircraft have an autoland system that allows the plane to land automatically, in addition to an autopilot system for use right after takeoff and while the aircraft is cruising. Since these systems are able to perform the pilot’s job in certain situations, one might wonder why a pilot is needed at all. There are certain benefits to manual operations, specifically during landing, so this blog will explore when and how pilots use autoland systems.

Speed is an essential part of aviation that affects the plane from takeoff to landing. Rather than maintaining a specific speed throughout their flight, aircraft must fly at different speeds depending on where they are in their journey. Furthermore, the speed at which planes are able to fly is dependent on their classifications, engine type, weight at take-off, and aerodynamics. To better understand how planes depend on speed throughout their flight, read on as we discuss the relationship between the speed at which an airplane flies, and other factors such as timing and plane type.

While aircraft are highly reliable vehicles that can traverse long distances in a matter of hours, they can only do so as a result of their design and how they manipulate airflow. While engines provide thrust and wings ensure ample lift generation, there still needs to be surfaces in place for the means of balancing the aircraft and assisting it during its turns, climbs, and descents. These surfaces often come in the form of stabilizers, those of which include the vertical stabilizer and the horizontal stabilizer. In this blog, we will discuss both aircraft stabilizer types, allowing you to better understand the role they play in standard flight operations.

Pilots rely on many instruments to monitor a great amount of critical information during flight. Understanding the purpose of these instruments can help break down the complex variables that one must learn to monitor when operating aircraft. To start, this blog will examine the purposes of a digital manometer which is used for measuring pressure in meteorological settings and compressor systems. In aviation settings, manometers often function to measure the pressure of air facing the front of the plane, but they can also give you readings required for various appliances powered by propane like barbeque grills. While manometers can be either analog or digital, we will further explore the advantages of the latter.

Whether one is dealing with a terminal block, instrument cables, relays, or other various parts of an aircraft electrical system, it is important that solutions are in place for connecting cables to appliances and mechanisms. While crimping is a common method for establishing such connections in a wide variety of applications, it can be a more encumbering process that has its own shortcomings if not implemented correctly. As such, utilizing a lug can be a much easier solution for establishing such connections, ensuring that connections are always secure, reliable, and long-lasting. In this blog, we will discuss various types of lugs and their uses, including those such as the terminal lug, boot lace-type lug, and U-type cable lug.

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.