Applications of Hinges in the Aerospace Industry
A hinge is an element of an assembly connecting two moving components and enables the angular movement about a fixed axis of rotation, while also preventing rotation and movement along the other two axes. Put simply, a hinge can be defined as a set of plates containing holes through which rods, wires, or pins can be passed for the purposes of fastening. Hinges can turn in a single direction in the following motions: pitch, yaw (the most common), and roll.
Hinges are flexible, jointed devices that can attach to any swinging part. They serve as mechanical bearings that can connect two swinging points or objects, enabling them to move relative to one another. Today, most hinges are designed to perform either a fixed angular translational motion of 90 degrees or 360 degrees. To better understand the application of hinges, we will briefly explore how they impact the aviation sector, and where they are commonly applied.
How Are Hinges Used in Aircraft?
The combination of sophisticated manufacturing applications, advanced structural analysis software, and computer-aided design tools has necessitated the creation of sturdy hinges that can hold all components together. This is especially observable in the case of small, crewless aircraft that integrate unique hinge design positions within their overall structure.
Aircraft hinges find a wide variety of applications within different structural locations, including an airplane's door of entry, access points, wings, tail, and cargo doors, among other interior surfaces and moving applications. That said, here is a brief explanation of widely-used hinge mechanisms and their location:
A Helicopter's Rotor System
The flapping hinge of a two-bladed teetering rotor system is located in the center of the mast. Offset hinges are used in a helicopter's rigid rotor system to enhance aircraft control. Although helicopter rotor systems use a cyclic pitch for control, a full-functional rotor system equipped with an offset hinge can directly impact the helicopter's central hub even if it is not generating any force due to its motion.
Aircraft Doors
An aircraft hinge mechanism with an elongated goose-neck hinge connects an aircraft fuselage to a passenger door. The hinge-member connects a pivot to one end of a plug door while connecting another end to the aircraft fuselage. The door's movement is controlled by a metallic guide arm attached to the door.
Butt hinges are another commonly used metal hinge for aircraft doors. They are generally six inches or shorter and typically consist of screw holes punctured at equal intervals within a stainless steel rectangular plate through which rods or pins can pass. On the other hand, stainless steel piano hinges find common application in sliding doors.
The Empennage
Commonly referred to as the tail assembly, the empennage of an aircraft is present at the rear of an aircraft’s fuselage to provide directional regulation and stability. These tail assembly systems are pivoted in a two-axial configuration relative to the main body. They also consist of other components such as vertical and horizontal stabilizers, elevators, rudders, and trim tabs, all of which are fastened into place by stainless steel hinge equipment.
Apart from entry doors in airplanes, piano hinges find wide-scale application in aircraft fairing systems used in landing gears. A fairing system can be defined as a design contrivance needed to remove aerodynamic drag forces while simultaneously streamlining and smoothening in-flight velocity. Available in stainless steel and aluminum versions, piano hinges consist of two halves connected by uniquely designed hinge wires or pins.
To Conclude
The intricate design of systems employed in modern aircraft demands the use of premium, quality-assured hinges that can withstand constant vibrational forces while in flight. Improperly adjusted, poor-quality hinges risk jeopardizing all components they are connected to, and by extension, the safety of all people on board the aircraft. When it comes to sourcing top-quality stainless steel hinges and their associated parts, only reliable names such as Aviation Parts Online should be counted on. Being a leading aviation and aerospace parts distributor, we at Aviation Parts Online go the extra mile to ensure that only the best aircraft parts are shipped to our clients. For additional service inquiries, call or email us at your earliest convenience; we are available 24/7x365.
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