One thing that both planes have in common is that they were designed in the days before high-powered CFD. I admire the fact that the formidable obstacles to reaching and sustaining supersonic flight were overcome using empirical data and slide-rules.
Jump to postGrandTheftAero (reply1) has a good point, but whilst engine conditions are extreme, they are steady state whilst a wing has to deal with constantly shifting loads, especially during turbulence. As a result of fatigue, all wings are doomed to fail at some stage. Hopefully, they are resparred, or else...
Jump to postIn reponse to Dw747400 (reply 46): The Airbus 350 won’t be using a centre bogie, as used on the330/340.Using a centre bogie means that there is less space to stow the main (wing mounted) gear, so it is necessary to design the main gear legs to shorten as they are retracted. Having no centre bogie ba...
Jump to postThe review mentions a 777, in my case, it was an MD11 (sometime ago).
Jump to postHaving read a flight review complaining about claustrophobic 2-5-2 seating layout in economy, and having once had the misfortune myself to be seated in the middle of a row of five on a long haul flight, I wonder why airlines persist in using this layout instead of 3-3-3. What advantages does 2-5-2 o...
Jump to postBelow is an interesting article about becoming an F/A in India (where aviation is expanding rapidly). Not so sure I'd like the ice-cold swimming.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4595942.stm
Here’s a question to baggage handlers (whose work is often unappreciated). For reasons which escape me, some pax seem to be capable of checking-in on time, but never get round to boarding the plane, despite numerous reminders on the airport PA system. When this happens, any checked-in baggage has to...
Jump to postSome nicely reasoned answers here, particularly from Breiz, thanks - helps keep things in perspective.
Jump to postIn their rush to win bragging rights regarding aircraft orders in the developing markets of India, China, aren’t Airbus and Boeing in danger of giving away their family silver? Usually, the really big orders come with strings attached, like the setting up of an assembly line in the country buying th...
Jump to postJulesmusician, I wouldn’t count on EasyJet always landing in foggy conditions. On Monday, my flight to Bristol-Berlin flight was cancelled because the incoming plane (A319) decided to divert to Exeter because of the fog. Yet next day, the incoming plane (A319 again) arrived on time at Bristol, despi...
Jump to postI was once on board a plane that had to abort its landing. We were moments from touching down (at night) when suddenly the engines went to full power and we were climbing steeply and banking. Suddenly, the calm atmosphere amongst the pax became noticeably tense. But the captain then came on to the i...
Jump to postI recently read an article about the time it takes for passengers to board a plane. Since 1970, the time taken has more than doubled (from 20 pax a minute then to 9 pax a minute today) because of the larger carry-on luggage today’s pax bring onboard. There are also cultural differences. A researcher...
Jump to postYou make a good point Litz: 90 second evacuations are possible in reality. I guess a lot depends on how well the F/As do their job in this type of situation.
Jump to postI’m sorry if this topic has been discussed before: I did a search, but found nothing. As I understand it, any new civilian aeroplane (or variant of an existing) has to prove that it can be completely and safely evacuated in less than 90 seconds (I think). This is done by filling the plane with volun...
Jump to postYeah,why on earth would an FC pax want to slum it in a bio-hazard coach class lavatory, when those at the front of the plane have eau de colognes, hand creams, luxury 4-ply paper, marble fittings, an attendant to hand you a fluffy white towel and chandeliers?
Jump to postQuoting Carduelis (reply 25) 'Untrue!' Untrue? Well I remember several articles in newspapers and on <acronym title="Virgin Express (Belgium)">TV</acronym> describing rooms being trashed and ransacked, and the victim(s) being told ‘not to f**k with <acronym title="British Airways">BA</acronym>’. I t...
Jump to postFreddie Laker’s SkyTrain was killed off by dubious <acronym title="British Airways">BA</acronym> tactics (acting in cahoots with another airline, if I remember rightly). There was also the infamous <acronym title="British Airways">BA</acronym> dirty tricks against Virgin Airlines that even involved ...
Jump to postCan anybody explain how AMASS (Airport Movement Area Safety System) works (in theory) – and why it seems to be unreliable?
Jump to postHey SlamClick, thanks for your detailed answer. Its interesting to note that you can read the subtler formations, like cirrus, to your advantage.
Does your knowledge/ gut instinct/ weather radar warn you of the dreaded down burst?
ANA will be introducing a new economy class seat on domestic flights. It looks like a clever re-design, giving the avarage cattle-class flyer more space. It would be interesting to see how it fares in reality. <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/news/120905-ana.htm" target=_blank>http://www.airli...
Jump to postDo pilots still look at cloud formations to predict bad weather or dangerous flying conditions, or has weather radar made that skill redundant? If clouds are still used as an indicator, which types spell trouble – apart from the obvious ones like storm clouds or thunderheads?
Jump to postCulture has a part to play in the likelihood of a plane crashing, but why the sudden multitude of crashes? Has the recent high price of oil forced airlines, already operating on tight margins, to cut corners when it comes to maintenance? Is the cut-throat airline industry subjecting pilots to harshe...
Jump to postOne of the worst flights I had was in the middle of a row of 5 (on an <acronym title="American Airlines (USA)">AA</acronym> <acronym title="Air Madagascar">MD</acronym>-11). The pitch was fine, but it felt really claustrophobic having two people either side of me. What's wrong with a 3-3-3 configura...
Jump to postIf you happen to be near the Science Museum in London (which is free), I recommend a quick visit to the aviation section. On display there is a section, taken like a slice of cucumber, of a Boeing 747. The section is through the double deck area of the plane, and has seats, lockers wiring and piping...
Jump to postThose jerks who staged the walkout wield too much power. They know that by callously causing misery to thousands of travelers, they have great leverage in pursuit of their cause (whatever it may be). This dispute is just plain stupid: why punish <acronym title="British Airways">BA</acronym> for some...
Jump to postIt is an interesting idea with many possible benefits. I have two observations though. Firstly, any motor used in the production version with have to have a fantastic power to weight ratio to avoid introducing a weight penalty. Secondly, if the motor is to replace tugs when pushing back, how will th...
Jump to postInteresting replies! I guess the old prop liners had lower power demand anyway - no air conditioning or IFE demands for example.
Jump to postMost modern jet airliners have an APU, usually a gas turbine located in the tail of the aircraft. But what about the piston engine planes of the fifties like the Stratocruiser and Constellation: did they have APUs, if so where and what type?
Jump to postI'd have thought that any tendency for the overhead bins to open or fail in turbulance is worsened by the huge bags people cram in these days. I thought it was 5kg for ech pax, but that seems to get frequently abused.
Jump to postPlease, no cell phones on planes! Its bad enough on trains: the gormless, irritating ring tones, and the following conversation held at shouting level so that everybody is left in no doubt about the talker's lovelife or how indispensable they are to their company etc. Even if it becomes technically ...
Jump to postNice livery, and the pics above remind of what a good looking bird the 707 was too.
What is behind the retro livery? Does Lufthansa have an anniversary to celebrate?
I wonder if other airlines will do the same thing.
Thanks for the answers! What I was trying to find out was what engine was configured for the prototype(s), which only had one engine - surely a single 725 HP engine was not sufficient?
Jump to postThe famous Junkers Ju52 transport plane of the WWII era had three radial engines (of around 725 <acronym title="America West Airlines (USA)">HP</acronym>), but as I understand it, was originally designed with a single engine. What type of engine was it? It must have been pretty large and swinging a ...
Jump to postBCAL, I think the Comet Engineer's theory about the Americans sabotaging the Comet is a little mischievous! According to the programme I saw on the development of the Comet, it was originally intended to glue in the windows. This was an untried technique, and it was proving impossible to get to work...
Jump to postI think they were scrapping the barrel to show the rescue of a squirrel (which wasn't even on the airport premises). A few more shouty/idiot pax needed to spice things up a bit.
Jump to postI think the device used in cars is called an Ackerman linkage. It's very simple in a car, but harder to incorporate into a retractable undercarriage. Otherwise you could use software interpret the pilots commands and turn the nosewheels the right amount. Again, is it worth the hassle/cost? Incidenta...
Jump to postThe civilian engine facility is in Derby, as AvionicMech said, but the military engine facility is in Filton, Bristol, just over the road (literally) from Airbus.
Jump to postIt might cause some tyre scrub, but that's probably tiny compared with the wear caused by landing, and not worth the extra weight of a ratio device.
Jump to postTo me, gas turbines are the pinnacle of engineering design, especially today's engines with swept, snubberless fan blades. I was once told, a couple of decades back, by a guy at <acronym title="Royal Air Force (United Kingdom)">RR</acronym> that each fan blade experiences a centrifugal force equival...
Jump to postI think the 737 Monteycarlos mentions only had one main gear down because, it was later found, one of ground crew left a chock in the wheel well.
Jump to postOn a slight tangent, regarding the energy recovery techniques that Lightsaber mentions, nature got there first! Some large soaring birds, like condors have their own equivalent wing tip devices to increase the efficiency of their wings.
Jump to postHey, thanks for the links. It certainly is entertaining 'flying' round the world from the comfort of my pc.
Jump to postCan anybody recommend an interesting international airport webcam? I've tried looking on the web, but it's tedious sorting the wheat from the chaff. Also, it seems that the Chicago O'Hare webcam is defunct, and that there isn't one at all for Heathrow - or is my info wrong?
Jump to postHere's a link to a related topic:
https://www.airliners.net/discussions/tech_ops/read.main/84340
I guess grubby planes are the consequence of budget cuts and demoralised staff.
Jump to postFor political reasons, the first Comets had De Havilland engines, even though there were more powerful <acronym title="Royal Air Force (United Kingdom)">RR</acronym> alternatives available. As a consequence, every spare ounce of weight had to be shaved off the plane (all done by hand calcs, I believ...
Jump to postI recently had my Easyjet flight from Barcelona to Bristol cancelled, due to bad weather (28 Feb), although the airport was operating normally when I arrived to check in. Instead, we were offered alternative flights (not necessarily to our original destination), and were put up for the night in a lo...
Jump to postI saw an aviation <acronym title="Virgin Express (Belgium)">TV</acronym> program recently in the which the presenter, who is also a 757 First Officer, expressed the opinion that the 757 is the most over powered airliner in the sky. If this is so, why the excess power? Was it due to commonality requi...
Jump to postIt seems that as the result of carelessness, the Captain of that Plane cost his company a lot of money (busted tyres and passengers having to be put on other flights etc). Is it likely to lead to disciplinary procedures, or just be written off by the airline?
Jump to postHere's a link to an article in today's Guardian relating to a possible end to the Trans Atlantic row about subsidies. Seem's that the voices of reason are beginning to prevail; a trade war would be disaster for both Airbus and Boeing. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1388190,...
Jump to post