Aircraft are some of the most complicated and difficult-to-understand machines in modern society and they require a full team of technicians and hands to service and maintain for each flight. However, these technicians need the right tools, too, and the only way to be able to do their jobs is if they use the aircraft jack, one of the most versatile and important tools in the industry. If you want to be able to understand plane maintenance better, you’ll have to get intimately acquainted with aircraft jacks.
1- Tripod jacks
As their name suggests, tripod jacks are unique because their design revolves around their three weight-bearing legs at the bottom. This unique feature allows them to be more stable, just like camera tripods, and can even be adjusted, which is a great feature for any jack because it opens up countless new possibilities and repairs. It’s one of the most versatile jacks out there and can be applied for almost any common maintenance job, which is why you’ll find one in every commercial hanger, but it is mostly used for smaller aircraft and lighter commercial planes. One of the best manufacturers of tripod jacks out there is Tronair.
2- Axle jacks
Axle jacks are another subset of incredibly popular jacks that are widely used in airports all over the world. This is because they’re incredibly cheap, and their long history of manufacturing has enabled factories to be able to use cheaper and faster methods to make them, passing the cost savings on to the customers. However, their simple design also means they’re mainly used for one kind of work: routine maintenance checks. They are incredibly specialized for this task and make it much easier, using their specialties like lifting the plane by its landing gear axle to make reaching the underside easier.
3- Hydraulic aircraft jacks
Hydraulic aircraft jacks are types of jack mechanisms that, when installed in certain jacks, help to make them more versatile. They do this by introducing a hydraulic system into the jack, which allows the transfer of pressure from the control system to the jack itself, and, as a result, higher loads can be carried. They’re not as accurate as pneumatic jacks and may even work slower, but they’re easy to maintain, needing just a routine hydraulic fluid swap now and then, and increase the weight-bearing load of every jack substantially, which means you can make a tripod axle more suitable for lifting large planes.
4- Wing jacks
The wing of the aircraft is perhaps the most important component for the actual flight and is what allows it to be controlled in the air and have an aerodynamic design good enough to stay in the air while greatly reducing drag. Wing jacks lift the plane up by the wings specifically to repair these components, allowing the technicians to get access to the wing motors, the engines, and even the landing gear, all of which make the plane easier to fly and safer while it’s still in the air. Wing jacks are another set of jacks that are commonly found across nearly every commercial hanger in the world.
5- Pneumatic aircraft jacks
Pneumatic jacks are another system used in jacks that act as a substitute for hydraulic jacks in certain situations and do as good of a job in increasing load and being able to lift planes effectively. They’re cheaper than hydraulic jacks in many cases but need to be maintained more, and they are faster at their jobs, wasting little time in getting the plane where it needs to go, which, in turn, increases efficiency. It’s mostly used in the repair of smaller, lighter planes and is preferred in places where energy efficiency is preferred or where high-quality hydraulic fluid is not available easily.
Conclusion
Aircraft jacks are incredibly important in the field of aviation, especially for servicing planes and transporting them when they’re needed. However, if you want to understand how you can service your planes as best you can, it’s essential to know how to use your aircraft jack, the various types, and the one that’ll be the most suitable for you. Luckily, if you use the information in this article, you’ll get the perfect aircraft jack that helps your job and easily meets your needs.