Aviation Parts Online Blog

Removing and installing an aircraft engine can be a very complex and lengthy procedure. Whether the engine has exceeded its lifespan, needs thorough inspection, or has faced internal failure, there inevitably comes a time in which the entire engine needs to be removed from the aircraft. As every aircraft and jet engine has different parts and procedures, there is not a manual for removal steps that encapsulates every type. That being stated, there does exist general removal procedures and steps that must be done during the process. In this blog, we will discuss some of these general tasks while removing an aircraft engine.

In the general aviation industry, the most commonly used type of engines are turbine, which universally feature a set of fan blades that compress air, mix it with fuel, and ignite it to produce thrust.Turbine engines come in various configurations: turboshafts convey the power they generate to a rotating shaft (typically a helicopter’s rotor), while turboprops drive a propeller the same way piston engines do. Turbojet and turbofan engines generate thrust from the kinetic energy of the hot exhaust gas and the bypass air forced around the core engine. Of all turbine engines, turbofans are the most popular type, and play an incredibly important role in the transportation sector.

Within the scope of aviation, the two most used forms of aircraft engines are low-bypass turbojets and high-bypass turbofans. Turbojets are suitable for high performance and supersonic speeds, but suffer from low fuel efficiency. Turbofans, on the other hand, are popular for commercial aircraft and specialize in fuel efficiency and subsonic thrust, but do not perform well at supersonic speeds. For aircraft that fly mixed missions, being able to bridge these two types of functionality through the use of variable cycle engines (VCE) proves to be an important endeavor for the future of engine fuel systems and is expected to be fully realized in the foreseeable future.

Gas turbine engines are powerful and efficient systems that are commonly used in aircraft to generate the thrust necessary for forward propulsion. While there are many powerplant types available for commercial and military aircraft, gas turbine engines remain the most widely used and popular form of propulsion system as a result of their design and capabilities. In this blog, we will break down the design and functionality of gas turbine engines, showcasing why they are ideal for aviation purposes.

Losing a primary flight control is never something a pilot wants to have happen. But if you do lose elevator control, there are strategies to help keep the aircraft in the sky.