More To Rubber Gaskets For Aircraft Than First Meets The Eye

By Marla Mills


Some people view an aeroplane as nothing more than a flying cylinder with engines mounted on it, but it is so much more than that. The tolerances that everything has to be manufactured to are exceedingly high, particularly when compared against other fields. These high specifications also include the rubber gaskets for aircraft.

Some people think that these items would only need one design, or profile. They also think that it would then be just a simple matter of cutting them to the required size. Unfortunately there is slightly more to it than that. At least with a car if there is a problem you can pull over to the road side, but with an aeroplane you do not have that option.

Try to remember the last time that you flew anywhere on your vacation, or maybe even a business trip. You would not be filled with confidence if the windows were to rattle like those in an old house. Despite the fact that they are already a snug fit, seals are utilized to prevent any possibility of movement. With the seal in place a special tool has to be used to fit or remove a window.

Another thing for you to ponder on your next flight. For your comfort the cabin is pressurized during flight, but when you boarded the plane you did so by passing through a doorway. So it is possible to say that there is at least one hole in the airplane's side. Hopefully you paid attention to the standard safety brief, and will understand that in the event that the cabin depressurizes the masks will drop down from the ceiling. Thankfully this scenario is unlikely due to the seal round the door.

You will be pleased to know that even your baggage has a similar level of protection. Even though your luggage spends its flight in a separate part of the plane to you. The baggage hold is not pressurized to such an extent as the cockpit and cabin, but it still requires its own door seal.

There are also numerous seals and grommets throughout the engine and fuel systems. In fact wherever you look on a modern aeroplane there is a very good chance that your gaze will rest on either a seal or grommet. The grommets are there to also prevent pipes and cables becoming damaged as they pass through frames and bulkheads. Especially if the aeroplane were to encounter any form of vibration either on the ground or during flight.

There are also special glues and compounds which are utilized to fix the seals to the airframe. Due to the operating environments these also have to be able to cope with a broad temperature range. Even taking this into account some areas will be hotter or colder than others, which will also have an input into which compound is used where.

So whenever you see a modern aeroplane remember that there are also unnoticed items playing their parts. These rubber gaskets for aircraft are also helping to make air travel safer. Yet these pieces are often overlooked even though they are just as important as everything else.




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