Gyroscopes are an important part of any internal guidance or navigation system of aircraft. Despite being invented over a century ago, they remain in use to this day. A gyroscope is a device that uses the Earth’s gravity to measure or maintain orientation and angular velocity. The configuration features a spinning wheel or disc in which the axis of rotation is free to take on any orientation. While in rotation, the orientation of this axis is not affected by titling or rotation of the mounting. Gyroscopes have applications throughout the aerospace, aviation, marine, and defense industries. They guide ballistic missiles and satellites, aid in the building of tunnels, and work in ship gun fire control systems.

Out of every standard gear used for mechanical systems, the spur gear remains the most simple and widely used. Typically, they consist of a circular gear body with straight teeth across the entirety of the circumference. They also feature parallel and coplanar shafts. Alone, spur gears can provide for rotational motion, though if paired with a gear rack, can also create linear motion. Spur gears can be produced from a variety of materials, ranging from metals to polycarbonate plastics. Due to their simplicity, spur gears are easy to design and produce, thus making them very cheap and economical for a wide range of applications.

Radio is the main form of communication between pilots and air traffic control. In the case of communication failure or if an aircraft is not equipped with a radio, Aviation Light Signals are used to relay aircraft navigational instructions. Much like a third-base coach using his/her hands to signal instructions to a batter, traffic controllers communicate to pilots through the use of signal lamps. Signal lamps generate three colors: red, white, and green and have two states: steady and flashing. These colors and states have specific meanings that vary depending on whether an aircraft is in flight or on the ground.

You may have handled a car jack at some point in your life, but have you ever handled an aircraft jack? The average person hasn’t, but there are those who are acquainted with them. Those who are familiar with aircraft jacks can testify that there is a lot more at stake. Not only is the equipment heavier, but so is the load. And if things don’t go as smoothly, the financial repercussions are significantly higher than if you mess up something using a car jack. In order to make sure everything goes according to plan, be sure to follow the following simple rules:

During the colder months, ice forming on aircraft can pose a problem. Ice that coats aircraft parts can cause multiple hindrances and even affect the lift of the plane. Through deicing and anti-icing, aircraft can have ice removed from the body and components, as well as have protection from reformation. The deicing compounds that are used for aircraft are a mix of glycol and water. Glycol is a very important chemical as it has the ability to lower freezing points.