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3. Air Inlet

Part Family: Airframe

Manufacturers:  Air inlets are manufactured by Bell Helicopter, Textron Aviation, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, Microturbo Inc, Profile Gear Corp, Honeywell, Sypris Electronics Llc, and Navair and Navsea Managed.

Functionality of Air Inlets:

Air inlets or intakes draw air into turbine engines for the purpose of combustion to generate thrust. Air, along with fuel and heat, is central to the performance of turbine engines. Depending on the type of aircraft, air inlets come in a variety of types. Subsonic inlets are found in aircraft unable to go faster than the speed of sound. These are the inlets found on commercial airliners. Subsonic inlets will generally feature a smooth and continuous curve and have a large lip. Supersonic inlets are found on supersonic aircraft and have a sharp lip to diminish performance losses caused by shock waves. Some supersonic inlets employ a central cone to slow down the speed of airflow when necessary. Hypersonic inlets have the most complex design of all. These inlets are tasked with slowing down the extreme speed of airflow entering the engine burner. It must be slowed down to subsonic speeds before reaching the compressor.

FSG: Air Inlets are categorized under FSG 29 - Engine Accessories.

FSC: Air Inlets are categorized under FSC 2995 - Miscellaneous Engine Accessories, Aircraft.

Common Applications:

All turbine engines have an inlet to funnel free stream air into the engine. The inlet is found in front of the compressor. While it technically does not affect flow, the inlet’s performance has a major influence on the engine’s net thrust. Inlets come in a variety of sizes and shapes, typically depending on the speed and function of the aircraft. Besides aiding engine performance, air inlets have a variety of common uses on aircraft like heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. HVAC systems vary greatly depending on requisites like heating/cooling needs, energy efficiency standards, humidity, air quality, cost, and many others. HVAC systems take in air through an inlet, direct it through a refrigerant or heating vessel, and pass the temperate air into the desired area.