Questions tagged [feature-identification]
For questions about identifying a feature or design on an aircraft.
8
votes
1answer
204 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 ...
-1
votes
1answer
125 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
138 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 ...
11
votes
1answer
306 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
214 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
136 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
371 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
151 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
67 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
388 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
175 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 ...
39
votes
1answer
7k views
Which aircraft had such a luxurious-looking navigator's station?
I'm reading the BBC's How Fiji changed the way we travel; The little Pacific island nation was the first to incorporate GPS into its aviation system – and in doing so forever changed the way we get ...
3
votes
2answers
262 views
What is that extended nacelle feature on the Honda HA-420 HondaJet?
Here is a picture of the Honda HA-420 HondaJet with strange extended engine housings. Why are they required? What are they for?
I am not asking about the red covers, but the white engine housing ...
12
votes
1answer
3k views
What is the small cylinder on the firewall to the left of the battery?
What is this and should the yellow wire be soldered to it?
Any ideas on preventing the wire from detaching again?
I checked the C150 parts manual but didn't see it. Is there somewhere else I should ...
3
votes
2answers
184 views
What is that protruding fuselage part? [duplicate]
Circled in red above, I suspect that's a high-lift device meant to improve handling at takeoffs and landings, but I don't know for sure really. What is its name and uses?
29
votes
3answers
8k views
What is this object in the cockpit of an ultralight?
This is a tool (probably) in on an ultralight airplane. Initially I guessed that it is a tilting meter (to level between right and left), but seems it is not as it just a vertical tube filled up with ...
17
votes
2answers
1k views
What is that CFM56 with a toothed exhaust on an A321?
I stumbled upon a wikimedia picture and I saw something that I have not seen before: a CFM56 with a toothed engine exhaust. Can someone explain to me what engine variant that is?
Source Author: ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
What are these engine gauges in the Comet 4 for?
What are these gauges on the Comet 4's engine-gauge panel (between the captain's and first officer's instruments, above the throttle levers), marked "POWER LOSS INDICATOR", for? (Sorry for the blurry ...
8
votes
1answer
366 views
What are these openings around the Comet's engine intakes?
What are all these openings surrounding the Comet 1's engine intakes...
(Original image by Tony Hisgett at flickr, via Wikimedia Commons; modified by me)
and what is this opening between the Comet 4'...
2
votes
1answer
371 views
What is the purpose of this item next to the cockpit window on the B737?
Hello does anybody know what the purpose of this odd looking shape is
4
votes
2answers
506 views
What is this unusual leading edge flap on a B737-200?
On this video of Air North's gravel runway-equipped B737-200, there's what appears to be a small leading-edge flap (Krueger flap?) inboard of the engine. Refer to the screen shot below. What is this?...
20
votes
1answer
6k views
What are these “pimples” on the jet engine for?
When looking into the General Electric CJ 805-23B jet engine, I have discovered that all forward section of the compressor is covered by a number of near identically looking "pimples". What are these ...
2
votes
1answer
222 views
What is this fairing on a Cessna 421?
What's the purpose of the fairing on fuselage, near leading edge of the wing?
0
votes
1answer
209 views
What are the hinged(?) structures in front of the F-4 Phantom's intakes? [duplicate]
What are the large flat structures on the sides of the F-4 Phantom directly in front of the engine air intakes? They are more or less square, and may be hinged vertically.
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What are these windows/portholes on the English Electric Canberra bomber?
This may be an obvious question, but I don't know, which is why I'm asking here. I've searched "Canberra canopy porthole" and "window", but didn't get any information. There is a porthole of sorts on ...
0
votes
2answers
378 views
What's on the upper deck in the picture (circled) of Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-8F? [duplicate]
Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-8F
Image Source
Is that a resting area for pilots or passengers seats?
3
votes
2answers
367 views
What position was this photo of a jet engine taken from?
From that aviation photographer, I saw that beauty:
Having in mind the jet engine I would see, let's say as a normal passenger, I am not really able to understand from where I am looking at that ...
7
votes
1answer
285 views
What are those sensors on the forward (Airbus) A321neo fuselage?
What are those sensors on the forward (Airbus) A321Neo fuselage? If it helps, this is wow air’s TF-DTR.
2
votes
3answers
473 views
What is this aeroplane - not a Blackbird?
What is the aeroplane in the first image?
I noticed this photo in a youtube clip, and at first glance thought it was a three-engine Blackbird SR-71, but it appears to be a single-seater.
The text ...
0
votes
1answer
229 views
What are these lumps on the top side of the wings of military aircraft? [closed]
There is an online video game called War Thunder that lets you fly various planes from roughly the 30s to the late 50s. It has some pretty detailed models, and I've noticed these lumps on the wings of ...
6
votes
1answer
472 views
What is this 'runway number' automatic readout system on a flight deck?
I was watching this flight-deck video (starts at 11:13) of a Turkish Airlines Boeing take off from Istanbul and just as they accelerate on the take off roll there seems to be an automatic voice in the ...
18
votes
2answers
2k views
What's the function of the plate behind the wheels of the Pilatus Porter?
Anyone knows what's the plate behind the wheel of the Pilatus Porter for?
5
votes
1answer
386 views
What is that hole on the front portion of the empennage of a CRJ-1000?
I've noticed that there is a hole on the front tip of the "dorsal fin" of the CRJ-1000. I've been thinking that it would be logical if that's the intake for its APU unit. But I'm not really sure.
...
4
votes
1answer
177 views
Is the shape of the Bell X-1 wing on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity's artwork correct?
This answer to the Space SE question What do these patterns on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity represent, and how are they applied? indicates that one of the aerospacecraft representations on the Unity is ...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
Why do the A220 cockpit seats have a cutout?
Why do cockpit seats on the A220 have a cutout on the bottom cushion? The answers to Aircraft pilot's seats: what is the notch for? explain that these cutouts allow for easier maneuverability of the ...
7
votes
1answer
381 views
What is this instrument that has “PACK” written on it and a temperature scale?
All I know right now is that it’s made in 1973. Another instrument I have is from a b727 and is dated 1982. This one I have no clue. Serial number- H 2590. The brand is Amphenol. That’s all the info I ...
25
votes
5answers
4k views
What is this F-18 Hornet “air intake” for?
I think I read once that they served to cool the on-board computer systems, but I'm not sure.
7
votes
2answers
287 views
What exactly does the MB-326's 'relight' button do?
The following picture shows the engine throttle of an Aermacchi MB-326, which is powered by the Rolls-Royce Viper turbojet:
(source - all photos © Drive&Fly Model Club)
I wonder what exactly the ...
2
votes
1answer
361 views
What does the XFR button on the Challenger 300's autopilot panel do?
I'm new to aircraft and currently I'm learning the autopilot system of the Bombardier Challenger 300. I saw the "xfr" button but don't understand what it is for. Can someone explain this to me?
6
votes
1answer
289 views
What is the three-light indicator on carrier-borne airplanes?
(YouTube)
The above three-light forward facing indicator can be seen on most (all?) nose landing gears of carrier-borne aircraft.
What is it called? I suspect it relays the angle-of-attack / E-...
28
votes
2answers
5k views
What are those hatches on the engines of a B-2 that are open during takeoff?
I just watched this drool-inducing video of Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, And noticed that there are a couple of hatches near each engine, which were open:
I initially thought they were open for some ...
1
vote
1answer
430 views
What is the overhead instrument panel (pictured) near the front galley area of an A320?
I have noticed this overhead instrument panel. It is convered by a transparent plastic lid with a small hole in the middle. Inside it has lot of switches. What is it supposed to do and who operates ...
5
votes
3answers
440 views
What is this tab above the DC-10's #2 engine? [duplicate]
What is this big rectangular tab (?) thingy extending backwards just above the DC-10's #2 engine? What does it do?
(wikimedia.org, picture modified to point out the tab thingy)
8
votes
1answer
387 views
What additional functionality is provided by the F-14 nose pitot, absent in early models?
Early model F-14A had no nose pitot:
... but they seem to have quickly acquired them sometime in the late 1970s. The Iranian F-14s have them, and it's quite hard to find a picture of an F-14 without ...
44
votes
4answers
10k views
What is this hole at the front of the engine pylon on a Boeing 707?
Images of the Boeing 707 show a hole at the front of the engine pylon just above the engine.
Can someone please tell me what is the purpose?
Also why do images show the hole absent on the left outer ...
3
votes
1answer
159 views
What's the name for this part on a Cessna 172P?
I am trying to figure out what the name for this part is.
I believe that's the door seal, but all seals I am looking at, seem to be glued to the outside now.
