NSN Supplies Blog

A strut is a common structural component that can be found in a number of industries and applications for adding resistance for assemblies against longitudinal compression. When used for aircraft construction in particular, struts are a bracing element that was originally used to add strength and rigidity to the main functional aircraft frame. Since then, struts have changed in their applications and now serve new uses for aircraft assemblies with their provided capabilities. In this blog, we will discuss the aircraft strut and its servicing, allowing you to best care for your aircraft and its components.

A propeller is a device used to transform rotary motion into linear thrust. On drones, also known as UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles, propellers create lift by spinning and creating an airflow which results in a difference in pressure at the top and bottom of the propeller surfaces. This pressure difference accelerates a mass of air in one direction, thereby providing lift to counteract the forces of gravity.

As aircraft rely on hydraulic systems, fuel components, and other such fluid apparatuses for their standard operations, it is important that there are methods and mechanisms in place for measuring pressure. This is due to the fact that aircraft constantly undergo changes in altitude, weather, and temperature as they conduct flight operations, all of which cause changes in pressure. Furthermore, pressure can also be utilized by many instruments in order to provide the pilot with flight-pertinent information for the means of conducting safe operations. In this blog, we will provide an overview of some of the main types of pressure measuring instruments and mechanisms in aircraft, allowing you to better understand their uses and importance.

A piston ring is a type of expandable, metallic split ring attached to the outer diameter of a piston within an internal combustion engine. Piston rings are manufactured and classified depending on their function and usability. They are mainly used in the combustion chamber of two or four stroke engines, though marine engines can have three or more different types of rings fitted on the circumference of the pistons. This blog will further discuss the functions of piston rings and their different types.

Since the advent of aircraft, a great number of improvements have been made to flight instruments and the avionic system, allowing for pilots in the cockpit to have better control and awareness for flight efficiency and safety. With advanced electronic aircraft sensors and electronic systems, pilots are provided with control, navigation, and monitoring that assist in various operations for both civil and defense applications. In this blog, we will provide an overview of what aircraft sensors are, as well as the various common types that are implemented in modern aircraft.

The aircraft hydraulic system is a critical element to a number of planes, allowing for pilots to operate landing gear, brakes, flaps, and other control surfaces with ease. As the system requires pressurized liquids that can transmit power through compression for functionality, a number of valves are needed in order to control speed, direction, and flow of fluids. Depending on the operation, a number of valve types may be utilized within a hydraulic system, and common valves include selector valves, sequence valves, check valves, shuttle valves, priority valves, quick disconnect valves, and hydraulic fuses.

Seals are used to prevent fluids from passing beyond a certain point and to keep air, dirt, or other particulates out of a system. The constantly increasing usage of hydraulics and pneumatics in aircraft systems has created a need for packings and gaskets of differing designs and functions to meet the needs of the speeds and temperatures to which they are subjected. Because no one type of seal is suitable for all installations, there are many different types of seal.

Gas bearings and seals are essential in aviation and auto maintenance because they help support the motor or engine of its vessel. The bearings in an aircraft, for instance, are designed to absorb shock as the plane touches the runway during landing and can also be used to manipulate a control surface such as ailerons. Aircraft bearings can help support and guide the rotating or sliding element of a machine and there are numerous types of seals that each help to reduce friction within a machine. For more information on bearings and seals, this article will provide a detailed explanation on how they work.

In the modern world, many aircraft create flight through the combustion of fuel and air mixtures within the aircraft engine. While these hot, rapidly expanding gases are what allow for aircraft to sustain heavier-than-air flight, it is critical that there is also a system in place to manage and expel them. With the aircraft engine exhaust system, combustion gases can be safely ejected from the plane, as well as used to power or drive various aerospace parts.

Federal Supply Class 3040 refers to Miscellaneous Power Transmission Equipment including shaft straight, lever manual control, parts kit linear ac, gearshafts, ball joints, actuating cylinders, and more. It is part of Federal Supply Group 30: Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment. The transmission system of an aircraft transfers power from the engine to the main rotor, tail rotor, and other critical parts during flight. This blog will explain some of the important transmission parts from FSC 3040 and provide some details on each of them.