Did you know there’s an aircraft flying in the air nearly every moment of every day? In fact, more than 10,000 commercial aircraft operate on an extremely tight schedule, delivering people and cargo on time every day of the week. The top priorities of maintenance engineers are to ensure the continued operation and safety of the aircraft. Regular aviation borescope inspections conducted thoroughly and properly accomplish this task.
WHAT’S IN A WING?
Airplanes involve many different parts working together to make certain it operates smoothly. Commercial airplane wings are particularly important and comprised of multiple components that help it lift the plane into the air.
The main wings are responsible for generating the lift, while the smaller wings located at the rear help to maneuver and control the plane. The horizontal stabilizer (pitch) and vertical stabilizer (yaw) help to keep the plane flying straight. The rudder turns the tail right and left, while the elevator moves it up and down.
Other sections of the wing, such as the ailerons, spoilers, slats, and flaps, also have important jobs to fulfill when the aircraft is taking off or landing. If these do not function properly then the aircraft may have problems during takeoff or landing.
The plane must get off the ground in spite of the aerodynamic drag that threatens to keep it out of the air. Each plane generates a varying amount of drag depending on its shape, size, how it moves through the air, and finally, the flow conditions of the air around the plane. Induced drag can be an issue for planes since it makes the aircraft work harder to obtain lift.
How is this addressed? Without getting too technical, wing designers added winglets to the tips of the wings. Winglets lower the strength of the tip vortex and force the airflow to become more two-dimensional, which reduces the drag. Also, the turbine engines (attached below the wings) generate a great deal of thrust to overcome drag and propel it forward through the air.
HOW AVIATION BORESCOPES HELP
Not every aircraft configuration is exactly alike. As you can imagine, it’s critical to keep the different parts of the commercial airplane wing functional. If a turbine engine unexpectedly fails when the aircraft is in the air then it could be a problem. Most malfunctions can be avoided with routine, nondestructive aviation borescope inspections and preventative maintenance.
Aviation borescopes are critical tools used for inspecting the various components of a commercial airplane wing. The aviation borescope is the one technologically advanced visual inspection tool that doesn’t get left behind when the technician steps up to the plane dock.
Manufacturers produce them with numerous features to meet the needs of the job, including articulating video and mechanical articulating borescopes. Aviation borescopes possess highly advanced visual capabilities that capture the best image quality possible. Another important aspect is being able to review the inspection images and video before making any final decisions.
For years, the aviation industry has used them to inspect regions of the plane where it’s not visible to the naked eye. It’s common for technicians to use them for private airplanes, military jets, and commercial aircraft. One thing’s for certain, aviation engineers know that it’s better to come prepared with an aviation borescope than to be without one when it’s the right tool for the job.
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