Year: 2025

Application of Momentum Theory in Analysing the Performance of Helicopter Rotors

Vikas Dwivedi
Momentum Theory in Analysing the Performance of Helicopter Rotors

This article delves into the application of momentum theory to analyze helicopter rotor performance, from basic principles to practical design implications. We’ll explore how it models rotor flow, derives key parameters, and introduces the Figure of Merit as an efficiency metric. Along the way, we’ll highlight real-world applications, limitations, and future directions—all while keeping the discussion engaging and grounded in accessible
aerodynamics.

 Understanding Engine Surge in Jet Engines: How FADEC Enables Safe Operation with Minimal Surge Margins 

Vikas Dwivedi
FADEC and Jet Engines

FADEC systems enable engines to operate safely with razor-thin surge margins by providing precise, real-time management. This article explores engine surge in depth, the critical role of surge margins, and how FADEC revolutionizes safe operation, drawing on real-world examples and clear analogies for aviation enthusiasts, engineers, and students alike. 

Indigenisation and Self-Reliance: Fortifying India’s Military Aviation Through Private Sector Synergy

Vikas Dwivedi
Indigenisation and Self Reliance

This article delves into the strategic imperatives of indigenisation, the mechanics of the embedded MRO model, real and hypothetical case studies of public-private partnerships (PPPs), associated challenges, and actionable solutions. Ultimately, it explores how this approach can elevate India’s defence preparedness, spur economic growth, and enhance its global standing in military aviation.

Bird Strike Hazards in Civil Aviation

Captain Santosh Kumar Tripathi
Bird Strike Hazards in Civil Aviation

Birds and aircraft have most stubborn “airspace sharing agreement”; and one that no one actually signed thus leading to conflicts and bird strikes. The first recorded incident dates back to 1905, when Orville Wright, during a demonstration flight, collided with an unsuspecting bird. The world’s first powered flight pioneer thus also became the world’s first victim in an airspace sharing conflict – the bird strike.

Protecting Indian Aviation From Global Market Forces?

Captain Santosh Kumar Tripathi
Indian Aviation

True “orderly conduct of international civil aviation” requires protecting the rights of professionals who make aviation possible, not creating employment restrictions that violate equal treatment under law. As Eddie Rickenbacker wisely noted, “Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible”; but achieving the impossible requires freedom, not chains.

The Passenger Ordeal: Security Theatre and Commercial Exploitation at Indian Airports

Captain Santosh Kumar Tripathi
Aviation security

We’ve created a system so perfectly dysfunctional it’s almost artistic; airports that look world-class but function like bureaucratic punishment centres. Every element, from security theatre to traffic tyranny to commercial exploitation, combines to create an experience that transforms the miracle of flight into an ordeal that makes bus travel look appealing.