Artem Kovalenko’s Post

The Cessna 680 Sovereign is a great member of the successfully growing family of Cessna business jets. But how did it happen that Cessna, known for its general aviation workhorses, created the largest business jet fleet? The post World War II economic boom created the demand in faster transportation for executives and businessmen. The existing options were limited and airlines couldn't offer the needed flexibility in scheduling and access to smaller airports. Cessna and Beechcraft had already made their name in single piston props and even offered some twin engine options but the real fooray into the market was brought by the jet options. First business jets with a full single aisle cabin like Lockheed Jetstar, North American Sabreliner, Learjet 23 made it possible and proved that business jets can offer many opportunities. So while Beechcraft chose the way with turboprops and created its successful King Air family, Cessna decided to go jets and launched its long development of the Citation family which eventually became the world's largest family of business jets #aviation #businessjet #cessna #aviationhistory #airplane #aircraft #businessaviation

The Antonov An-12's instrument panel causes the same level of excitement and astonishment today as a modem glass cockpit would cause in the 50s. Of course this mind boggling amount of gauges would have been seen as a huge technological leap forward compared to the simpler cockpits of the 1920s. The technological development of aircraft led to increasing complexity of its systems. The complex systems needed humans attention to make sure that they function properly in flight thus making instrument panels in the cockpit more filled with instruments and indicators. The usual set of flight instruments needed to fly and navigate the aircraft got surrounded by numerous gauges for additional systems. The majority of this black panel is occupied with engine, landing gear, fire and navigation system instruments required constant crew monitoring. Modern glass cockpits have even more parameters to monitor but controlling them is largely automated. Instead of continuously monitoring system parameters the crew receives warnings only is something goes wrong or has a tendency to.This advancement was made possible by the development of the first color displays and microchips. #aviation #airplane #aircraft #cockpit #instrumentpanel #aviationhistory #technology #aerospacetechnology #flightsafety #engineering

Why do most modern Falcon businessjet models, except Falcon 2000, are equipped with three engines while other manufacturers opt for two? Obviously Dassault has taken a special niche with no rivals. Dassault has built a strong reputation for safety and reliability with its trijet configuration, differentiating itself from competitors and attracting customers who prioritize these aspects. The main reason is that with three engines, the aircraft can safely continue flying to its destination even if one engine fails, particularly crucial over oceans or remote areas where diversion options are limited. This provides an extra layer of peace of mind for passengers and operators. Add to this the technical ability of trijets to handle hot and high altitudes or airports with limited runway length better than twin-engine aircraft due to the extra thrust and redundancy. This allows for greater operational flexibility and access to a wider range of destinations. While the market trend favors twin-engine jets for efficiency, some customers still value the safety and performance advantages of trijets, making them a viable niche offering for Dassault #aviation #businessjet #dassault #falcon #aviationengineering #aerospacetechnology #flightsafety

This is how the local traffic looked just 15 years ago. The Ilyushin Il-86 middle range widebody made a long journey from Saint Petersburg across the whole country. It was the first Soviet wide-body airliner and was designed to carry up to 350 passengers on short-to-medium-range flights. However, it had a relatively short service life due to its outdated and fuel-hungry engines. In the late 1970s, the Il-86 was designed not only as the first Soviet wide-body airliner but also to facilitate passenger and baggage handling at airports. The aircraft had three airstairs doors on the port side, so passengers could board directly from the tarmac. This helped to speed up boarding and eliminate the need to sort baggage at the terminal. In the baggage compartment, there were shelves where passengers could carry and place their bags.However, this self-baggage loading system was limited to 15 kg per passenger due to weight and balance concerns. In practice, it was rarely used and the shelves were mostly used for cabin baggage only. #aviation #aviationhistory #commercialaviation #aircraft #aerospacetechnology #airlineoperations #history

Glittering sunrise starts the new day. Unlike the vibrant hues of nature aircraft liveries are not often so colorful and mostly conservative and even boring. Look at this new Mi-8 helicopter. Its plain white color doesn't signify that the airline which operates it ran out of liveries ideas. Many aircraft in the world have white liveries with perhaps just a modest sticker representing the airline's name. The explanation lies in the ownership of the aircraft. Airlines are happy to demonstrate their brand on the aircraft they own. It's no surprise that aircraft are expensive and about half of the world's aircraft fleet is leased, not owned. However some leasing companies especially those specializing in short term leasing prohibit painting their aircraft. Painting is expensive and takes time. So many leased aircraft stay white saving airline's and lessor's money. Why squander money on painting for just a season or something that you do not own. White color is less prone to fading, it's cheaper and weighs less than a mixture of colors of a complicated livery #aviation #airlineoperations #aircraft #helicopter #commercialaviation #leasing #aviationtechnology

The photo is tempting us to embark on a new journey in the luxury of a business jet. Many regional jets, business jets, and turboprops have main doors that open downward to be used as stairs. This CRJ is one of them. Even something as seemingly simple as a door on an aircraft is a sophisticated mechanism. Just look at this open passenger door! The lower step is retractable, and the handrails are folding. The handrails are driven by mechanical linkages to be raised or folded when the door is open or closed. They can even be collapsed when the door is open if you need to use a jetway. Yes, even a relatively small airliner like this one can be operated with jetways. The door opening mechanism itself is a counterbalanced system with gas springs that take the weight of the door and dampen its movement. On the door's way to the ground, a special wheel extends and supports the door on the ground. To close the door from outside, you can just raise it and push, but it's not a classy way. The crew can simply press a button inside the cabin, and the electrical motor will pull the door up and stop automatically at the vertical position #aviation #airplane #aircraft #engineering #aerospaceengineering #aviationtechnology #commercialaviation #technology