Will a Plane Pop for Being Over Pressurized?
It's easy to picture a plane's cabin as a perfectly sealed environment, a pressurized bubble protecting us from the harsh realities of the thin air at high altitudes. But the…
Rear-Mounted Versus Wing-Mounted Engines
There are only two places in an airplane where jet engines are positioned, either in the rear or aft, and at the wings. Both have advantages and downsides, but you…
Rain Cannot Make a Jet Engine Flame Out
I recently received a question in my social media inbox. The person asking admitted to being a nervous flyer because he was told by some "maritess" that flying in the…
Why Some Boeing Planes Use Raked Wingtips
When we observe the wingtips of today's commercial aircraft, they are often equipped with wingtip devices, mostly winglets. The Boeing 737NG and the Airbus A320 feature blended winglets, while the…
How Much Fuel Do Aircraft Carry for a Flight
Unlike cars, aircraft are not typically filled to full tank capacity. We're accustomed to filling our cars with fuel based on our budget and the contents of our wallet. Moreover,…
The Function of the Cone at the Exhaust of Jet Engines
If there's one feature on commercial planes that has always intrigued me, it's the cone-shaped structure on the exhaust pipes of some jet engines, like those on the 747-200 and…
What Happens When Reverse Thrust is Deployed Mid-flight?
Whenever I travel by plane, several questions linger in my mind. What if, what if, what if? One question, in particular, concerns reverse thrust: what would happen if it were…
Reasons Why Jet Engines are Mounted Lower than the Wing
If there's one thing common about most commercial jet aircraft, it's that their engines are mounted on the wings, and usually lower than the wings. When jet engines first appeared…
Those Fins on the Engine Cowlings are Called Strakes
If you look out at the jet engines from your window, you might notice some small fins attached to the cowling of the jet engine. As I often point out,…
What Difference Do Sharklets and Wing Fences Make on an A320?
If you've ever flown on an Airbus A320, which many of us have, you might have noticed some variations in the wingtips of different aircraft. Some have these pointed, triangular…