Since the pandemic, the aviation industry hasn’t been the same. In 2020, the industry totaled $328 billion in revenue, which is only 20 percent of 2019. This is equivalent to the amount of revenue generated in 2000.

We all know that regular maintenance of your aircraft will extend the life and ensure safe performance. But to take preventative measures, you must go through different levels of aircraft service support; and the most important levels pertain to structural and component maintenance. In this blog post, you’ll learn about the maintenance of a hydraulic system and its components.

Air refueling (AR) is the use of inflight refueling aircraft to keep strike and surveillance aircraft in the air for long periods to observe adversaries, refuel airlifters (delivery of supplies or personnel), and support sustained airstrike operations.

In our last post, we talked about the importance of cybersecurity in the aerospace and defense industries. To support these industries, a company must also be Nadcap accredited. 

In our last blog post, we talked about the importance of safeguarding the aerospace and defense supply chain. For companies working with these industries, it is also critical to have strong cybersecurity regulations and protocols set in place to ensure that any sensitive information is being handled properly. 

The aerospace and defense market comprises of passenger and military airplanes, helicopters, gliders, unmanned aerial vehicles, spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellites, and other aerospace fittings. In conjunction with the general defense industry, it is understandable their supply chains are subject to an abundance of certifications and regulations. These can range from compliance in the use of specialty metals, to the manufacture of firearm components, to cybersecurity measures — namely, the security of information technology data and an organization’s communications infrastructure. The very infraction FLIR committed.

In honor of Space Day, Brennan is reminiscing about successful space missions and the aerospace certified components that went into making them possible.

Hydraulic Fluids in Aircraft

Hydraulic fluids used in aircraft are relatively thin compared to industrial fluids. They must also be fire resistant, which is critical when the nearest fire department is five miles below, not a few blocks away. Hydraulic fluids used in aircraft also differ from industrial applications because they must remain at -65° and up to 275° F. At those temperatures water and vegetable-based oil lubricants will freeze or boil. The primary hydraulic fluids used in military and commercial aircraft depend on the particular application and environment:

Hydraulic System Applications in Aerospace

As mentioned, hydraulic systems are vital to the operation of commercial and military aircraft and space vehicles, including:

• Cargo Doors
• Rudders
• Spoilers
• Landing gear
• Nose wheel steering 
• Primary flight controls
• Emergency generators
• Flap/slat drives

Hydraulic Systems: The Heart and Arteries of Aircrafts

Hydraulic systems in aircraft are used on aircraft to move and actuate landing gear, flaps and brakes. Larger aircraft rely heavily on these systems for flight controls, spoilers and thrust reversers. These hydraulic systems in aircraft are reliable due to using hydraulic fluid that is virtually incompressible and able to transmit high pressures while being lightweight and more durable in comparison to pneumatic systems.

Hydraulic System Components in Aircraft

Though the same basic components in a hydraulic system are typically used across most aircraft, from a twin-engine Cesena to a Boeing 787, the hydraulic system design will vary depending on the size of the aircraft and the complexity of the application.

As with many other major industries such as automotive and medical equipment, the tier supplier network in aerospace is comprised of those who provide a variety of essential materials and commodities that are used to manufacture a finished product. There are three primary levels of segregation for tier suppliers; Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Each of these tiers plays a significant role in the supply chain to aerospace OEMs and the support of U.S. military readiness. First we need to understand who the OEM is.