SJCguy From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 579 posts, RR: 1 Posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 4746 times:
I commute on us weekly between SJC-SEA, obviously on our 737's. About once a week, I take Alaska instead due to loads, and find myself on an MD80. I've noticed, a lot more lately, that those planes fly a lot smoother than 737's. Almost every time I'm on a 737, there's some sort of movement with the plane. I took off from SEA last night in some light rain and wind, but in an MD-80 and the plane barely shuttered. They just seem to fly a lot smoother...is this true or all circumstance?
Sabena 690 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 4733 times:
My last 4 flights on the MD82 were also very very smooth. But I think it's just coincidence (since most of my other flights with B737 etc were also very smooth )
Shamrock_747 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 4645 times:
Maybe it's something to do with having the vertical stabilizer mounted on the top of the tail - I haven't flown on an MD-80 for a long time, but I find Avro/146 flights noticably smoother than 737 flights.
Douglas DC-9 From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 303 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 4593 times:
This has to do with there the engines are mounted, if there is a tail wind, and what I call the "Whale Tail" on the DC-9, 717-, and MD-80 and 90 series aircraft.
FrequentFlyKid From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 1194 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 4545 times:
I think it's a coincidence. My two worst flights ever, as far as turbulence and uncomfortably, were on a CO MD-80 and a TWA MD-80. The CO flight was LAX-IAH in 2001 (equipment downgrade from 757 :-() and the TWA leg was STL-CLE in 2000.
CitationJet From United States of America, joined Mar 2003, 2045 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 4486 times:
Shamrock 747
You said: Maybe it's something to do with having the vertical stabilizer mounted on the top of the tail......
Didn't you mean the horizontal stabilizer mounted on top of the tail?
Positive rate From Australia, joined Sep 2001, 2143 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 4350 times:
Maybe it's the fact that the MD-80 is bigger than the 737. Also maybe having no engines on the wing lets it flex a bit more absorbing more turbulence. I wish i could fly on an MD-80 i love that plane, unfortunately we have none here in Australia.
Speedbirdyvr From Canada, joined Mar 2003, 168 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 4341 times:
It definitely is a coincidence coz I had one of my worst take-offs ever on an MD-80. I flew RNO-YVR in 1996 on Reno Air (sad ) and the plane was shaking uncontrollably. Must be due to the hot and high conditions too, but it did feel like the plane was having trouble gaining altitude.
HlywdCatft From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 5321 posts, RR: 9 Reply 10, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 4332 times:
**but I find Avro/146 flights noticably smoother than 737 flights.**
Really? With that high wing? When I flew an RJ-85 it seemed to rock more in the wind on approach than lower winged aircraft.
Penguinflies From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 956 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 4304 times:
why type of 737 b/c the longer the aircraft boeing makes the more it seems to fishtail in the back.
Deltaownsall From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 1171 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 4263 times:
I have also noticed that MD-80s (along with MD-11s to an even higher degree) seem to fly much smoother than Boeing 7x7s. I have had a few MD-80 experiences in thunderstorms and I still find them to fly much smoother no matter what the weather. Maybe it is a combination of engine location and horizontal stabilizer?
MD-90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 8180 posts, RR: 16 Reply 13, posted (8 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 4260 times:
HlywdCaft, Cessna used to tout that their high wing aircraft were more stable than Piper's (low wing) because the fuselage was hanging down from the wing. Also ask was, "Have you ever seen a low-winged bird?" But of course, the 146 is so much smaller than a 737 so I wouldn't be surprised if it was bumped around more.
Personally, I would suspect that an MD-80's wing loading is a little higher than a 737. That could account for the smoother ride. Personally, it also seems to me that MD-80s fly smoother than 737s, but that's really a gut feeling, not anything that can be substantiated.
And Penguinflies, I'm not sure what kind of yaw damper the 737 has, but I remember seeing somewhere that the MD-80 has a highly effective one because of the short moment arm that the tail has to work with (in other words, it needs a good yaw damper).
Although...is yaw damper the word I'm looking for here? I'm not sure.
FBU 4EVER! From Norway, joined Jan 2001, 998 posts, RR: 8 Reply 15, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 4072 times:
In SAS,we've got both 737 NG's and the MD-series.There is no doubt about it, the MD's are a lot more stable than the NG's in turbulence.The 736,especially,wallows all over the sky in turbulence.The main reason is that it's yaw damper does not have the rapid rate of damping as the MD one has,and this combined with the wingspan being longer than the fuselage lenghth makes for a very uncomfortable ride.The -700 is marginally better,while the -800 is quite good due to the longer distance from the CG to the fin and rudder.This imparts a stronger authority to the rudder/yaw damper.
But it is still inferior to the MD's,especially the MD-90.
Mikkel777 From Norway, joined Oct 2002, 370 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 4064 times:
I've been flying quite a bit in Norway the last years, in all kinds of weather. The aircrafts have been MD-80 and 737-600, -700 and -800. Generally, the MD gives a smoother ride, and if you are seated in row 25 or lower, it will be more quiet. I would compare the noise in rows 1-5 in 738 to rows 20-25 in a MD-80. The reason for the better behavior in turbulence could be that MD has a less effective wing, and a longer fuselage.
Zionstrat From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 226 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 4015 times:
This thread is feeling a bit qualitative for a forum where stats are thrown around much all the time Although not one of the quantitative types, I think MD-90 nailed it as wing loading tends to be the primary variable and his hunch seems to be right on:
MTOW for MD80's runs from 140k lbs to 150 with wing area of 1209sf giving a range of 115 to 125 lbs/sf (loading should be displayed in oz/sq inches, but works for this comparison)
733
124.5k/1135 = 110
736
124/1344 =92
737-7
133/1344 =99
In other words, all MD 80s have higher wing loading than this range of 737s-
Avioniker From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1106 posts, RR: 13 Reply 18, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3999 times:
The DC-9 series aircraft flight controls are "flown" by the control tabs and aerodynamic forces whereas the Boeing aircraft flight controls are driven by hydraulic powered actuators. This makes for a much smoother flight control movement an much less abrupt movement of the aircraft in all axes.
One may educate the ignorance from the unknowing but stupid is forever. Boswell; ca: 1533
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Although not one of the quantitative types, I think MD-90 nailed it as wing loading tends to be the primary variable and his hunch seems to be right on:
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