Questions tagged [feature-identification]
For questions about identifying a feature or design on an aircraft.
169
questions
9
votes
2answers
562 views
What is that pitot-like device under the left wing of the Cessna 152?
Source: tkaviation.net
I suspect it's related to the fuel system, but it's only found on the left wing (see the yellow circle, not the pitot-tube). I haven't been able to find the right keywords to ...
6
votes
1answer
384 views
What is the bulge under the engine of the Mirage III and some of its variants?
While attempting to create a Kfir in 3D modelling software, I noticed a bulge under the engine on the reference picture (a 2D side view) I was using, which I initially assumed to be a fin. After ...
3
votes
1answer
692 views
What is this Airbus A320 passager seat part?
I'm on a Airbus A320 anyone have any idea what the black part on the back of the passager seat is used for?
6
votes
1answer
154 views
What is the use of this object in the cockpit of a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400?
What is the use of this object in the cockpit of a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400?
33
votes
1answer
3k views
What's that in front of the overhead panel?
There is that thing I have see a few pilot using it. it can be pulled outside and then inside. what's that and what's the use of it?
5
votes
1answer
174 views
Can you identify this antenna on a Cessna 172N?
Does anybody know what this antenna is used for? I suspect a glideslope antenna but I am not totally sure.
42
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
166 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 ...
11
votes
1answer
587 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
81 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
154 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
211 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
311 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
637 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
231 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
204 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
135 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
362 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
231 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
8k 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
569 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
157 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
306 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
140 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
561 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
388 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
342 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
230 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 ...
asked Jun 20 '19 at 4:01
David says Reinstate Monica
2,3493 gold badges18 silver badges32 bronze badges
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
350 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
55 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
237 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
247 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
200 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
531 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
434 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
257 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 ...
