Portable Engine Maintenance Sheds Shield Mechanics from the Elements
When faced with operational requirements to conduct heavy engine maintenance far away from dedicated facilities, these maintenance crews employ portable maintenance sheds to bring shelter to the airplane. Still in use today with modern inflatable tents, this concept first emerged during military operations at unimproved airfields, offering respite from harsh elements. Fully equipped with windows for natural light and fuel-fired heaters, portable structures could be rolled up to an aircraft undergoing maintenance, while more permanent structures could be built out on a ramp to allow regular maintenance to be conducted on a ramp away from a traditional hangar.
Topics Related To: AVIATION HISTORY
Helicopter Rescue Operations Without a Tail Rotor
An McDonnell-Douglas MD-900 Explorer EMS helicopter conducts rescue operations in Lofer, Austria. While the word “Notarzt” on the side directly translates to “emergency doctor,” it unintentionally also identifies a key feature of the MD-900 – the “NOTAR” system that replaces the tail rotor.
NASA’s Shuttle Training Aircraft – A Gulfstream Business Jet, Repurposed
The Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor takes on US Navy aircraft carrier cargo and personnel transport duties as it replaces the Grumman C-2 Greyhound fixed-wing aircraft.
Three Ways the Ford Trimotor Revolutionized Air Travel
While many undoubtedly recognize the Ford emblem and the vehicles it adorns, Ford manufactured another machine that few may recognize today, but which revolutionized the 1920s and 1930s. It was a flying machine called the Trimotor.
