As aircraft are incredibly complex pieces of machinery, they carry numerous subsystems of hardware on them. This section covers those sets of aircraft hardware parts, while excluding avionics, due to their specific role, and
bearings and
fasteners, which has been done for the sake of browsing convenience.
Generators
Generators on aircraft provide electrical power to the various electrical systems on the aircraft, such as avionics, control for flight surfaces, climate control in the cabin, and lights inside and on the aircraft. Generators are typically driven by the
aircraft’s engine, but some also mount auxiliary power units (APUs) or ram air turbines (RATs) to provide power as well. Generators typically output 115-120V/400 HZ AC, 28V DC, or 14V DC. This power can be used without modification, or it might get routed through transformers, inverters, or rectifiers to change the voltage or type of current.
Batteries
Batteries are a critical part of an aircraft’s electrical system, as they store electrical power for two primary purposes. The first is aircraft startup, much like in an automobile, and the second is to serve as an emergency source of power in case the generator onboard the aircraft fails. Batteries on aircraft are typically lead-acid or NICAD types, but
lithium batteries are becoming more common as well.
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is the technology and applied science of using pressurized liquids to generate, control, and transmit power. On aircraft, hydraulic systems are used to move and
actuate landing gear, flaps, and brakes. Larger aircraft such as commercial airliners that do not use electrically powered control surfaces will also use hydraulics to do so. The advantages of hydraulics are that they are light-weight, easy to install, inspect, and maintain, and efficient due to fluid’s lack of friction.
Landing Gear
While some aircraft make use of skids, skis, or floats, the overwhelming majority of aircraft use wheeled landing gear for maneuvering on the ground, takeoffs, and landings. Landing gear configurations include the ‘taildragger,’ where there are two main wheels towards the front of the aircraft and a single smaller wheel under the tail, and the tricycle undercarriage where two main wheels are placed under the wings and the third smaller wheel is under the nose. To reduce drag, most aircraft use landing gear that retracts up into the fuselage via hydraulic actuators.
At Aerospace Aces, we sell aviation hardware and parts from some of the top manufacturers in the world
. These manufacturers include Textron, Eurocopter, Collins Avionics, Bell, and Boeing.
