ASAP Parts 360 Blog

The average Jane or Joe has heard of Honeywell, Boeing, and the Airbus company, but what many people don’t know is that there are over a million different aerospace and aviation. Learning about these companies, their revenue and how they impact the industry may not be priority for the masses, but for those working actively in the aviation, aerospace, and military industry, it’s extremely beneficial. The more you know about the parts you’re dealing with and where they are produced, the better knowledge you have improve work efficiency and move on up in your company. Below see a brief list of aviation/aerospace manufacturers and suppliers. Read more >>

A gyroscope is a device used to measure and maintain orientation and angular velocity. It is a spinning wheel or disc wherein the spinning axis of rotation is free to assume any orientation by itself. While in rotation, the orientation of the axis remains unaffected by tilting and rotation of the mounting. Gyroscopes have many applications, from the Hubble telescope, to submarine navigation to flight instruments in the aerospace industry. This blog will focus on two gyroscopic flight instruments: the heading indicator and the attitude & heading reference system. Read more >>

If it's cold enough, shortly after take off, a single cold start can cause severe aircraft engine problems. The degree to which a cold start will damage an engine depends upon factors like the type of engine, the engine’s age and condition, whether the engine has steel or chrome cylinders, and what kind of engine oil is being used. As a general rule, a “cold start” occurs when the engine is at a temperature below freezing (32F or 0C). Any start below 20F or -7C is very dangerous to a power plant. Read more >>

No matter their size, all aircraft require some kind of mechanism to power systems like landing gear, brakes, flaps, and various flight controls. All mechanical systems require some sort of medium through which they apply force and pressure, and in a hydraulic system, that medium is a liquid or oil. For comparison, pneumatic systems rely on compressed air or gas. In this blog, we’ll break down some of the most common applications for hydraulic systems, and how exactly they work. Read more >>

Aircraft fasteners are incredibly important components of any machine, and helicopters are no different. The main rotor of main helicopters is held in place by a so-called “Jesus nut,” called such by flight crews because to lose it was to have the main rotor detach completely and come face to face with him. While some helicopters do not feature a Jesus nut, all of them require fasteners that are precisely secured to ensure safe and controlled flight operations. This is why precision torque tools are so critical for helicopter maintenance, as every single nut, bolt, and screw must be tightened to exact specifications. If left loose, one can come free and damage the engine, propeller blades, or other components while in flight. If tightened too far, they can stress the housings and cause them to crack from the pressures and vibrations of flight.
Read more >>

Aircraft bearings are a very useful type of fastener, allowing for constraint of movement to specific motions, all while reducing friction between the moving parts. This requires that bearings be accurately installed, lest the bearing’s life expectancy be cut short along with other problems. If a bearing is too loose, movement between components is less restricted, leading to problems such as wear, fretting, scoring, fracturing, and more. When a bearing is too tight on the other hand, increased force for mounting may be required, also leading to possible bearing fractures. According to estimates, about 16% of premature bearing failures are caused by poor installation of bearings. So what are some of the methods to correctly install a bearing, and what are things to avoid? Read more >>

When reviewing a quote or an invoice, it’s understandable to want to scrutinize every item and every price down to the final number. But when revising a quote presented to you for MRO (Maintenance Repair Overhaul) or other types of aircraft maintenance manual, you have to ask “what does this quote include?” If you are getting maintenance done, then you want to make sure that nothing is missed, which is why you ought to start questioning if any item not included with your quote should be. Read more >>

Running out of fuel while driving a car can be a frustrating experience and mean a wasted afternoon. Running out of fuel while flying an aircraft, however, can verge on disastrous. For the aviation industry, proper fuel quantity indication is incredibly important, given the human lives and millions of dollars of property that can be put at risk if a commercial airliner runs out of fuel mid-flight. Read more >>

Aircraft seals are essential to prevent fluid buildup and to keep the system clear of air and dirt. Each seal or seal type is unique to each installation. The reasons for this include different pressure rates, the type of fluid used, the type of metal used, and the type of motion the system does. Read more >>

Just as a car requires a vehicle registration number and plate to be airworthy, an aircraft must feature a data plate. Issued by the aircraft manufacturer, aircraft data plates are not something that you want to replace. They are notoriously hard to come by and are attached to a string of FAA regulations. Read more >>