Airplanes are one of the most complicated machines ever built by humans. People often overlook the sheer level of engineering that goes into manufacturing a metal machine that can sustain flight for several hours, cross oceans, land countless times and repeat the same procedures the next day. When boarding a modern jet airplane, it’s easyContinue reading “The Checks Required To Perform Aircraft Maintenance”
Author Archives: Osman Jamil
Why Were The SR-71 Engines’ So Far Apart From Each Other?
The SR-71 was a marvel, a super plane that marked an era. The technology it had on it is still unmatched. One of the most impressive things about the jet was its engines. Not only the sheer power of them but their placement of them. Two Pratt & Whitney J58 axial-flow turbojet engines powered theContinue reading “Why Were The SR-71 Engines’ So Far Apart From Each Other?”
Qatar Airways’ A350 Having Paint Issues?
A paint issue on an airplane? That is rarely ever heard of. But recently, Qatar Airways is facing a paint issue with their Airbus A350 fleet. A fault with fast deteriorating surface paint that caused the grounding of 16 of Qatar Airways’ Airbus SE A350 jets has also compromised lightning protection on the model’s fuselageContinue reading “Qatar Airways’ A350 Having Paint Issues?”
Onboard the Concorde: Luxury at 60,000 feet
Concorde wasn’t just a jet; it was an exclusive club. Imagine having the ability to get caviar on board an airplane while flying at 60,000 feet in the air. As special as Concorde was, it was limited for the elite to fly in. Concorde still has the distinction of being the only commercial supersonic aircraft,Continue reading “Onboard the Concorde: Luxury at 60,000 feet”
Why Doesn’t The Boeing 737 Have Landing Gear Doors?
The main landing gear wheels sit uncovered after folding into their housing, as seen on the underside of the Boeing 737 shortly after takeoff or in flight. On most other planes, it’s hidden behind closed doors. Since the introduction of the first 737, this has been the case. The most obvious reason, you guessed it,Continue reading “Why Doesn’t The Boeing 737 Have Landing Gear Doors?”
Why Don’t Airplanes Fly Over Tibet?
Aeronautics has progressed to the point where we can now fly at double the speed of sound and scientists want to fly to Mars, but there are a few areas on Earth where planes aren’t allowed to go. Such a place is Tibet. But why Tibet? When it comes to planes flying over this portionContinue reading “Why Don’t Airplanes Fly Over Tibet?”
The Boeing 747 type that failed
The majestic four-engine Boeing 747 is known as the “Queen of the Skies” by many all around the world. But did you ever know there was a tri-jet version of the 747? Yes, a trijet! Just like a DC-10, Boeing 727, or an MD-11. It’s strange to conceive of the Boeing 747 as anything otherContinue reading “The Boeing 747 type that failed”
Aircraft Exterior Lighting
Every component on an aircraft holds vital importance whether it is a small landing light or a vertical stabilizer. Lights are often under shadowed by the sheer brilliance of other parts of an aircraft but do not be mistaken. Without lights, an aircraft would barely be recognizable. Recognizable in the sense that it would beContinue reading “Aircraft Exterior Lighting”
A Battle Of Stealth: F-22 vs F-35
On one hand, you’ve got the world’s premier aircraft in air dominance, and on the other hand, you’ve got the most expensive weapons procurement program in world history. Even though the two jets have many things in common, both are still very different. The sole reason for the F-35 was to fill the void leftContinue reading “A Battle Of Stealth: F-22 vs F-35”
The Saturn V: A Rocket 15 Times Faster Than A Rifle Bullet
Rockets are arguably the greatest engineering feat accomplished by man. The capabilities of these machines are unmatched and nothing like any other machine. Such a machine is the Saturn V (5), the most powerful rocket ever flown. The Saturn V rocket is the most complicated piece of engineering ever created. It was used by NASAContinue reading “The Saturn V: A Rocket 15 Times Faster Than A Rifle Bullet”
Antonov An-225 Mriya : The Plane With 32 Wheels
The Antonov 225 “Mriya” is the world’s biggest cargo plane that weighs around 285 tons when empty and is even bigger than the Airbus A380 airliner, the An-124, and the Boeing 747 Freighter. The sole purpose of the Myria is to carry cargo for large distances. It is powered by six Ivchenko Progress Lotarev D-18TContinue reading “Antonov An-225 Mriya : The Plane With 32 Wheels”
SR-71 Blackbird: The jet that could outfly a bullet and a missile
The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, which has a hard-earned reputation for making the impossible happen. The SR-71 operates at extremely high speeds of about Mach 3.2 and altitudes of up to 85,000 ft (25,900 m) to allow it toContinue reading “SR-71 Blackbird: The jet that could outfly a bullet and a missile”
How Airplanes Refuel in the Air?
When your car runs out of fuel, the first thought that comes to your mind is to rush to the nearest gas station. But if you’re an F-22 Raptor, who’s running low on fuel at 40,000ft, what do you do? Obviously, you would not nose dive the jet 90 degrees and try to glide itContinue reading “How Airplanes Refuel in the Air?”
What Is an ILS Approach?
Decades ago, airplanes started to get more and more automated than ever. The result is a rise in safety on and off the ground. Autopilot was a system that was already installed on several large airplanes over the years but the introduction of ILS has changed how many see airports and landings. What exactly isContinue reading “What Is an ILS Approach?”
Can Two Airplanes Collide in Mid-Air?
Accidents involving vehicles of all sizes from bikes to trucks is something which we’ve all heard and seen. Whether it is two bikes crashing into one another or two trucks, the chances of such accidents on the road are extremely high. But when talking about airplanes, can two airplanes collide in mid-air? Well, simply considerContinue reading “Can Two Airplanes Collide in Mid-Air?”
Here’s Why Airplane Tires Don’t Explode On Impact
The chances of a baby landing an airplane is higher than tires exploding on impact. It does make sense in expecting the tires to explode when an airplane touches the runway with the sheer amount of speed and momentum, but why don’t the tires burst like a balloon? Well, there are a lot of reasonsContinue reading “Here’s Why Airplane Tires Don’t Explode On Impact”
Science behind shockwaves and a sonic boom
Ever seen a fighter jet rush past you so fast that you hear a loud bang? Well, that loud bang is called a sonic boom. Now, what exactly is a sonic boom? A sonic boom is a thunder-like noise a person on the ground hears that is associated with shock waves created when an objectContinue reading “Science behind shockwaves and a sonic boom”
What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?
Lightning is an extremely dangerous phenomenon that takes place on earth. About 100 lightning bolts strike the Earth’s surface every second which is about 8 million per day and 3 billion each year. These numbers may sound frightening for things on the ground, but are these numbers as dangerous for things in the air? Let’sContinue reading “What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?”
What It Takes to Land the U-2?
Ever thought of an aircraft that lands on two wheels? Well, look no further than the U-2. The Lockheed U-2 is a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft and arguably the most well-known of them. Built for one sole reason that is to fly so high that it can barely get identified on the radar. Its naturalContinue reading “What It Takes to Land the U-2?”
The RAVN X: The World’s Largest Drone
For years NASA has dominated delivering cargo and satellites to space, and now SpaceX seems to be doing the same almost every week. Sending cargo to space or delivering a satellite isn’t exactly cutting-edge tech these days. Liftoff usually starts with a ground-based rocket, which is expensive and time-consuming to launch. Aevum, a company launchedContinue reading “The RAVN X: The World’s Largest Drone”
The Defiant X: Faster than a Black Hawk
Lockheed Martin owned Sikorsky and Boeing unveiled their brand-new assault helicopter to the world this month. It is called the Defiant X, taking the same surname as little brother Raider X, which aims to replace the aging fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as the army’s long-range assault aircraft of the future, and as partContinue reading “The Defiant X: Faster than a Black Hawk”
The Ultimate Airbus which Failed to Deliver
The pinnacle of excellence, and an eye-catcher; the Airbus A380 is truly a marvel. When Singapore Airlines took the A380 for its first commercial flight in 2007, there was huge excitement and noise around the world that the future of air travel had finally arrived. From hotel suites to bars in business class, all seemedContinue reading “The Ultimate Airbus which Failed to Deliver”
Aircraft Cemetery
When your car coughs up its last mile, it is either sold away or it ends up in a scrapyard. But have you ever wondered what happens to an aircraft after it has delivered its last passenger? Around the globe, at any given moment, thousands of airplanes either soaring the skies or sitting quietly asContinue reading “Aircraft Cemetery”
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 finally returns.
The 737 variant everybody feared, finally makes its return to the skies. Will it win the trust of airlines and the people back? Or will it still leave a trail of uncertainty? Let’s go through what happened and why things turned out the way they did. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 made its debut inContinue reading “The Boeing 737 MAX 8 finally returns.”
The B-2 Spirit: A spaceship made on earth.
‘Is that a UFO?’ or ‘That surely is not a plane!’ are the words coming out of almost everyone when the B-2 flew past them. Although the B-2 was not a UFO, it could disappear like one in a blink of an eye. A plane, so unmatched and different that people still do date areContinue reading “The B-2 Spirit: A spaceship made on earth.”
Aviation for Aviators 