Questions tagged [feature-identification]
For questions about identifying a feature or design on an aircraft.
159
questions
40
votes
3answers
9k views
Why does the B-2 Spirit have a pattern of thin white lines?
Northrop Grumman's B-2 Spirit bomber is mostly black or dark grey, but has a symmetric pattern of distinctive, thin white lines painted on its wings and fuselage. I have not been able to find anything ...
6
votes
0answers
146 views
What are these blades on the engine cowling of a Wittman Tailwind?
The Florida Air Museum in Lakeland has a Wittman W-8 Tailwind with four wooden, propeller-like blades on the engine cowling:
Source: own work
What are the blades for? It's an experimental aircraft ...
10
votes
1answer
557 views
What is the purpose of these movable panels on the MiG-35?
The MiG-35 has movable panels on the LERX (leading edge root extensions). There are a number of images around the web showing these panels deployed during slow flight and retracted otherwise.
When do ...
0
votes
0answers
77 views
What is that sharp thing on the wall of the air intake of the F-15? [duplicate]
What is that sharp thing on the wall of the air intake of the F-15?
-9
votes
1answer
135 views
What is this object name and how it works?
Photo is from here.
I believe that it something like steer on a car. But seems that it has function or control more than just turning left or right. Is any different between left and right?
11
votes
1answer
2k views
What are the bars protruding from this C-130?
This C-130 was photographed on approach to Ellington Field (EFD), Texas.
What are the protruding, truss-supported bars aft of and below the wing?
There's an airshow coming up in ~3 weeks at EFD, so ...
6
votes
2answers
189 views
What is the purpose of the vertical splitter and the NACA duct at the MQ-9 Reaper engine scoop?
The engine scoop/intake on the MQ-9 features a vertical splitter at the inlet face, as well as another smaller NACA duct on the top cowl surface just aft of the inlet lip.
I am guessing the former ...
6
votes
1answer
303 views
What is the device at the tail of the F-16 Block 60?
The F-16 Block 60 has a lot of advancements, one of which is the device at the tail. What is it?
For clarification, I believe all these vents (second image) are for said device.
30
votes
3answers
10k views
What is this gigantic dish at Ben Gurion airport?
As the title asks, what is this thing for? Have never seen anything like it at other airports I've been to.
12
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the purpose of the extending wingtip panels on the Su-25?
Is it to increase the air resistance of the aircraft?
Source: reddit.com
12
votes
1answer
562 views
Does the B-1B Lancer have controllable canards?
These three pictures shows the B-1B Lancer's canards and its elevators. I am not sure to call that feature a canard as the jet also has elevators. In my limited understanding, canard and elevator are ...
2
votes
1answer
218 views
What “jet engine” is featured in this ad that Simone Giertz made for a phone?
Simone Giertz's video "Having Dinner With a Jet Engine/Leaf Blower" has a number of views of the turbine, on a cart, with a ducted fan attached. This side view is the best view, in my opinion.
I put ...
3
votes
1answer
198 views
What is the function of activating an individual elevator on the B-1B Lancer?
This B-1B Lancer's picture I captured from this Youtube video. The control axes is from Wikipedia.
As we know, the three "conventional" axes are as follows:
Roll axis controlled by aileron,
Pitch ...
2
votes
0answers
129 views
What is the small openining on the bottom right of door 4R of an Airbus A321? [duplicate]
While observing taxiing A321 planes, I noticed that they had an open hatch-like opening on the bottom right of door 4R. I marked it here on a picture I found online.
I could not locate it in the ...
6
votes
1answer
350 views
What are these protruding things on this Russian military aircraft (MiG-31BM)?
See the video
In the video it is clear that the jet takes off and lands with all these 3 things "open/stretching out" (so it seems to fly just like that - not retracting them).
Here is Wiki on that ...
6
votes
1answer
3k views
What are these protruding elements from SU-27's tail?
I recently saw in person SU-27 belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force. I spotted some protruding elements from its tail and I'm wondering what are they called and what do they do?
6
votes
2answers
185 views
What's This Cable Connecting Cockpit to Vertical Stabilizer in Air Tractor AT-401?
This is a picture of an AT-401 Sprayer Airplane
I was wondering what's this steel-string stretching from cabin's windshield to the top of the vertical stabilizer
...
16
votes
1answer
8k views
What are these panels underneath the wing root of a A380?
What are these open panels underneath the wing root of a A380 (right above the person standing under the aircraft)? Are they ram air exhausts of the air conditioning packs?
13
votes
1answer
3k views
Why does this Strikemaster have a textured leading edge?
I was at Duxford recently, and spotted a Jet Provost Strikemaster that had a rough texture applied to a portion of the leading edge of the wing.
Why was this applied?
29
votes
1answer
7k views
What are those bumps on top of the Antonov-225?
What are those bumps on top of the Antonov-225? What are they for? And what are they called?
4
votes
1answer
2k views
What is this flat plate sticking out of the tail of Learjet 24D?
What is this protrusion on the tail of Learjet 24D (shown just above the avro museum logo) and what is its function?
Learjet 24D Tail closeup
Zoomed out image of the Learjet tail
Source: images ...
8
votes
1answer
517 views
What is this hole on the F-22 Raptor?
I noticed this little hole that is right in front of the cockpit window of the F-22 Raptor. In some photos, it seems to be closed, while in other photos, it's open.
Does anyone know (or think they ...
4
votes
1answer
156 views
How much can a plane benefit from another planes wake?
Could a smaller plane fly in a V formation behind a much larger plane to reduce fuel consumption significantly more than a plane its own size? At what point does flying in a larger planes wake become ...
2
votes
1answer
269 views
What is this square hole for? [duplicate]
When waiting to depart Edinburgh today I noticed a square hole (looked to be something that can be opened and closed) on the rear of the right side of the aircraft.
Never seen it before and no idea ...
29
votes
1answer
4k views
What is the metal bit in the front of this propeller spinner?
What is that grey spirally bit in front of the propeller mounted on this Shvetsov ASh-62 radial engine?
1
vote
1answer
132 views
What is the reason for the strips on the nose of the Embraer E175 [duplicate]
Recently I boarded a KLM flight with an Embraer E175, when I noticed the strips on the nose
(see image, marked with the black circle).
Own image
This Embraer E190 also has it:
Image source
...
6
votes
1answer
502 views
What’s the purpose of the small “hole” in front of wing root on A320-214?
Someone knows what’s the purpose of this little “hole”?
2
votes
1answer
385 views
Why does the F-4's rear seat have a weather scope eyepiece?
In the front seat. The pilot has a flat screen radar scope that shows both the planes and the weather.
But on the rear seat. The weather scope has an giant eyepiece. Perhaps glare protection?
(...
7
votes
2answers
328 views
What are the two blisters on F-35 upper wing surface?
For all of the F-35 models you can find pictures with and without a blister on the upper wing surface. I'm guessing that it is sensors for the missile warning system that were retrofitted later on, ...
5
votes
1answer
218 views
What is that Boeing 757 custom cockpit interface?
Cropped; flickr.com, 2008
The photo is taken in cruise. The selected display shows takeoff data. There is also a send button (which hints at a datalink capability for communicating values).
I ...
24
votes
5answers
9k views
Is this one of the engines from the 9/11 aircraft?
I ran across an interesting set of post-9/11 photos and I noticed this picture in particular:
The closest item on the truck looks a bit like an airplane engine, but I can't tell for sure. Is it one ...
15
votes
1answer
3k views
What is that ceiling compartment of a Boeing 737?
Does somebody know what that big box in the roof of the 737 cabin is?
3
votes
1answer
336 views
How does F/A-18 autotrack work?
This is about the alleged "UFO" video. However, I'm not interested in speculation about what exactly the aircraft being tracked in the video is.
What is "autotrack" in an F/A-18 Super Hornet? Does it ...
0
votes
0answers
52 views
What are the rotating disks at side of the throttle control [duplicate]
Pardon me if inaccurately describe the plane's cockpit.
From watching aviation videos, I have noticed two disks at both sides of the throttle levers.
They are colored in alternating white and black ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
What are these clip-like things?
With me becoming an aviation enthusiast and AirBerlin becoming insolvent, my mom has gone on a hunt for deals on what I can best describe as AirBerlin merch (old uniforms, shirts, skirts, belts and ...
8
votes
1answer
234 views
What are the circled features on the upper surface of the A380 wing?
On the A380 wing are at least 3 red circle each side. There seems to be a black part inside. Is this a dip stick, or something else?
5
votes
1answer
2k views
What are these hexagonal things under the Concorde's neck?
The Concorde had a pair of dark-coloured hexagons under each of its forward boarding doors, as seen in this picture (showing the hexagons on the left side of the Concorde's neck):
British Airways ...
0
votes
1answer
212 views
Does the a320 neo have anything like MCAS? [duplicate]
I am trying to book a flight that will be on an A320 NEO.
Does this have any 'new' systems or features, like the MAX MCAS system?
I'm asking this question also because one airline has just grounded ...
0
votes
1answer
187 views
How are this helicopter's blades perfectly timed with the camera shutter? [closed]
This is a video of the Mi-24 helicopter. The rotor blades appear not to be moving.
Did the pilot and photographer sync the camera and helicopter to make this video and how? I do not know the true ...
10
votes
1answer
462 views
What is the bend in the tip of the blade of the new Black Hawk?
The newer Black Hawks have this angle added to the end of their rotor blades.
What is it for? How does it increase or decrease performance?
Could this be used on airplane propellers?
(...
5
votes
1answer
427 views
Is there a specific purpose for the silver “swoosh” on Air Force One?
Air Force One, just ahead of where the wing joins, has a silver "swoosh" on the bottom of the fuselage:
Air Force Two, or other congressional aircraft painted with the blue/white livery that I was ...
3
votes
1answer
245 views
What are these openings on the TBD/TBM Avenger?
I've been looking at some pictures and models of the TBF1 and TBM3 Avengers, a torpedo and dive bomber from WW2. I've noticed in some cases there are these openings/slots towards the leading edge of ...
46
votes
3answers
4k views
What is the offset in a seaplane's hull?
I noticed there is a little offset in a seaplane's hull (highlighted in the following picture). I suppose this is useful as it exists in all the seaplanes I know.
It appears to be neither a ...
15
votes
1answer
4k views
What are the unusually-enlarged wing sections on this P-38 Lightning?
Halfway through this video of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, there's an unusual-looking example. Notice the enlarged wing sections outboard of the engine bodies, and also how the cockpit fairing ...
5
votes
1answer
568 views
What’s this vortex generator like thing below the wing?
In Barcelona’s El Prat Airport I saw some ceiling fans and noticed that they have on the lower part of the wings something that looks like a wingtip device or vortex generator.
As far as I understand ...
1
vote
0answers
302 views
Why do the in house Boeing 737 max tails have a drag chute? [duplicate]
In the recent videos of some in-house (tagged as Boeing instead of some airline), at the top of the aircraft's tail, there is a rope with a small drag chute attached to it. What is the purpose of this?...
3
votes
0answers
111 views
How are these flywheel-like devices used in the Boeing 737 Max? [duplicate]
The recent news video CNN's exclusive look inside a Boeing 737 Max simulator shows a 737 Max simulator cockpit. There are a pair of what look like large black flywheels on the console, shown spinning ...
8
votes
1answer
539 views
What is this plastic device inside the plane window?
I saw this on a recent domestic flight. It was glued on all the windows of the plane, behind the first layer of plastic. What is it and its purpose?
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What is this tube in a jet engine's air intake?
I have long been wondering what is the official name of this little air intake tube located in front of the fan blades and its intended functions. I did search it on google but it was in vain. I guess ...
1
vote
1answer
683 views
What is this yellow tube blowing air? [duplicate]
What is this yellow tube (lower right quadrant of the picture) which is blowing air into the airplane while it's at the terminal? You can see the open hatch on the bottom of the jet through which it's ...
