COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN AIRCRAFT

B787 Fuselage section

Composite materials have been used in aviation and aircraft manufacturing for decades. There were used in civil and military aircraft primarily on secondary surfaces. What exactly are composite materials??

NEW GENERATION PURE POWER ENGINES: GEARED TURBOFAN

Today, the turbofan engine has found a home on practically all jet-propelled aircraft. However, the ambitious emission goals of ACARE 2020 cannot be fully met with the current turbofan concepts and industry majors need to look elsewhere to find a viable solution.

A high bypass engine is the key to reducing both fuel consumption and noise and developments are underfoot aimed to raise the bypass ratio above ten and optimize individual components for better aerodynamic efficiency.

NEXT GENERATION ENGINE

PW1000G- Pure Power

PurePower PW1000G engine with Geared Turbofan™ technology is a state of the art gear system that separates the engine fan from the low pressure compressor and turbine, allowing each of the modules to operate at their optimum speeds. This enables the fan to rotate slower and while the low pressure compressor and turbine operate at a high speed, increasing engine efficiency and delivering significantly lower fuel consumption, emissions and noise. This increased efficiency also translates to fewer engine stages and parts for lower weight and reduced maintenance costs.

The PurePower PW1000G engine’s fan-drive gear system is just one component of this next-generation engine. The PurePower PW1000G engine also incorporates advances in aerodynamics, lightweight materials and other major technology improvements in the high-pressure spool, low-pressure turbine, combustor, controls, engine health monitoring and more.

LIFESPAN OF AN AIRCRAFT

Bhoja air crash at Islamabad had generated widespread comment on the age of the aircraft being above 20 yrs old and still being engaged in service.Without prejudice to the impending investigation, let's look at what governs the airworthiness of an aircraft and especially when aging.

EXTERNAL WALK-AROUND

Pic of Brussels airlines