Aerospace Hardware Blog
Practical guides on aerospace hardware, specifications, and quality compliance, written from the distribution floor.
No press releases, no fluff. These are working guides for the people who buy, receive, and inspect aerospace hardware: how part numbering systems actually work, what quality certifications do and do not promise, and how to keep your supply chain traceable and counterfeit-free.
August 4, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Read MS (Military Standard) Part Numbers: A Practical Guide
MS is the military standard series many drawings still call out, even after the move to NASM. How to read an MS number and resolve it to the current standard before you buy.
Read article →August 4, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Read EN Aerospace Part Numbers: A Practical Guide
EN aerospace standards are European, metric, and everywhere on Airbus programs, including bearings. How EN numbering works, and where it differs from the inch-based NAS and MS systems.
Read article →August 4, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Read NSA Part Numbers: An Airbus Standard Guide
Three letters that look like NAS but belong to Airbus. Why NSA and NAS are different systems, how to decode an NSA callout, and the mix-up that ships the wrong part.
Read article →August 4, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Read Airbus ABS Part Numbers: A Practical Guide
ABS is Airbus's in-house standard, and it travels with NSA and ASNA on Airbus bills of material. How to read an ABS callout layer by layer, and the pitfalls that cause wrong orders.
Read article →August 4, 2026 · 8 min read
How to Read Boeing BAC Part Numbers: A Practical Guide
BAC is Boeing's own standard and the biggest system on most Boeing bills of material. How the family codes, base numbers, and dash codes fit together, with worked BACB examples.
Read article →July 8, 2026 · 5 min read
What a Certificate of Conformance Covers (and What It Does Not)
The CofC is aerospace's most routine and most misunderstood document. What the certificate actually attests, what it never contained, and what to check at receiving.
Read article →June 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Laminated Shims in Aircraft Assembly: When and Why to Use Them
Real parts carry real tolerances, and the gaps land somewhere. Why shimming is designed in, how peelable laminated stock works, and what to watch when buying shim material.
Read article →May 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Shear vs Tension Bolts: Choosing the Right Aerospace Fastener
Shear and tension joints load bolts in opposite ways, and the hardware follows suit. Smooth grips, 12-point heads, why grip length decides, and the mistakes that hide after assembly.
Read article →April 15, 2026 · 5 min read
BACB28 Boeing Bushings: Specification Families Explained
BAC numbers look like industry standards but are Boeing company standards. What the BACB28 and BACB30 families cover, and why revisions and traceability rule the sourcing.
Read article →March 17, 2026 · 6 min read
Counterfeit Aerospace Parts: How AS6081 Controls Protect Your Supply Chain
Fastener fraud predates the microchip kind. How the five AS6081 controls, from approved suppliers to quarantine, keep counterfeit hardware out of your stockroom.
Read article →February 11, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Read NAS Part Numbers: A Practical Guide
NAS callouts pack a standard, a size, a material, and optional features into one string. How to unpack them, with a worked example and the pitfalls that cause wrong shipments.
Read article →January 14, 2026 · 5 min read
AS9120 vs AS9100: What's the Difference and Why It Matters for Buyers
Both certifications share ISO 9001 DNA, but they audit completely different risks. What each one actually tells you about a supplier, and why it matters for your paperwork.
Read article →Need the parts, not just the theory?
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