How does the crew escape in an emergency - are they meant to escape from the upper deck only? (I'm assuming that there are slides etc. upstairs.)
Presumably the freighter version doesn't have any seating, even jumpseats, installed downstairs, and thus no-one is meant to travel there - but what if the upper-deck slides malfunctioned? Would the only course of excape be to take a slide down a bloody scary rope from the cockpit windows, or that "ceiling" hatch above the cockpit?
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13337 posts, RR: 64 Reply 1, posted (8 years 8 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 1368 times:
On UPS 747s there is one escape slide attached to the upper deck emergency door, and there are rappeling (descent control devices) attached to steel cable to exit out of the top hatch.
Avioniker From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1109 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (8 years 8 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1314 times:
What MD11 says is standard on freighters.
It is possible that the stairs might be up if the plane was loaded at one of the automated facilities with upper deck access stairs outside the aircraft like at Narita. That leaves the upper deck escape hatch or the overhead cockpit hatch as the only ways out.
One may educate the ignorance from the unknowing but stupid is forever. Boswell; ca: 1533
RedDragon From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 1135 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (8 years 8 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1252 times:
It is possible that the stairs might be up if the plane was loaded at one of the automated facilities with upper deck access stairs outside the aircraft like at Narita.
Are these essentially extra-tall versions of standard airstairs then?
And yes, I've just realised that the 747 doesn't have opening cockpit windows as i said, just the ceiling hatch. Is there any particular reason for one over the other? Having had a (very) quick look, TriStars also have the ceiling hatch, Airbii and narrowbody Boeings have the escape windows (which also serve as direct vision windows of course, although are they actually often used?), and McDonnell Douglas designs don't seem to have any cockpit emergency exits at all. Did the designers want the pilots to die? (I'm not sure about the 757/767/777, can't tell if the windows slide open or not!)
Hmmm. This has turned into a muchly-digressing answer... would I be better off starting a new thread about the exciting topic of cockpit exits?
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13337 posts, RR: 64 Reply 4, posted (8 years 8 months 2 days ago) and read 1168 times:
THe DC-8, DC-9, MD-80 and DC-10 / MD-11 have sliding windows. The DC-3 has an overhead hatch and the DC-4 to DC-7 has a small door on the right side behind the F/O seat.
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