Spinner (aviation)
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A spinner is a streamlined fairing of an aircraft in front of the propeller in the middle of the engine or with turbofan engines . It makes the aircraft more streamlined, thus reducing air resistance and ensuring a better flow of air to the engine.
species
When by a piston engine powered aircraft, there are two widely used types of spinners. On the one hand, large spinners that cover the entire propeller head and reach up to the cowling , as well as small ones that only cover the fastening screws of the propeller. Common materials are aluminum and glass fiber reinforced plastic . Soft metal is used in aluminum spinners because it has a lower tendency to break. At the beginning of the 1990s, GRP spinners were brought onto the market for self-built aircraft, which also tended to break. This reputation holds up to this day, although there are no longer any significant differences in stability between the two types. The cover in a turbofan engine in front of the first fan is also known as a spinner. This is usually marked with a spiral so that a running engine can be identified more easily.
hazards
Losing the spinner in flight can cause damage to aircraft, which can also lead to accidents. If the spinner comes loose during flight, the cowling and cockpit canopy are usually damaged. At the same time, the loss of the spinner leads to increased vibrations, which can make an emergency shutdown of the engine necessary.
history
The first spinners were developed in the early 1910s to reduce the drag of the large propellers.
Individual evidence
- ^ Crane, Dale: Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms , 3rd Edition, p. 480. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ISBN 1-56027-287-2
- ↑ a b c Bingelis, Tony: Bingelis on Engines , pages 196-210. Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Foundation, 1995. ISBN 0-940000-54-7
- ↑ a b c Bingelis, Tony: Firewall Forward , pages 269-273. Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Foundation, 1992. ISBN 0-940000-93-8
