ASAP Parts Online Blog

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. 

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.

The global aerospace supply chain is a highly structured, multi-tiered global system that supports the needs of both civilian and military aviation sectors. With millions of parts involved in the manufacturing of aircraft and their various related systems, a clearly defined set of tiers that organizes types of entities is essential for operational efficiency and technological advancement. This blog will break down the three main tiers of the aerospace supply chain and explain how each contributes to the industry, so be sure to read on if you would like to learn more.