Most critical aircraft part?

[eharding]

Ayahuasca said:

Had a passenger joyride recently in an 86 year biplane, powered by the same type of engine that took Lindbergh across the Atlantic.

Whilst hopefully few of the critical parts were actually themselves 86 years old, it did lead me to ponder on what single part, if it were to fail, would be most disastrous (pilot's heart excepted).

I opted for the nut that fixes the elevator cable to the elevator.

Any other thoughts?

Pretty much anything on an aircraft not related to pure passenger comfort or entertainment is there for a purpose - you don't burn fuel lugging crap about that you don't need - and in the correct circumstances the failure of any component or system has the potential to kill you just as effectively as a sudden catastrophic structural failure.

If you want to know the single component that worries me most, then it would be the one that manages to start a fire when airborne, for whatever reason, regardless of where it is on the airframe.

[dr_gn]

eharding said:

Ayahuasca said:

Had a passenger joyride recently in an 86 year biplane, powered by the same type of engine that took Lindbergh across the Atlantic.

Whilst hopefully few of the critical parts were actually themselves 86 years old, it did lead me to ponder on what single part, if it were to fail, would be most disastrous (pilot's heart excepted).

I opted for the nut that fixes the elevator cable to the elevator.

Any other thoughts?

If you want to know the single component that worries me most, then it would be the one that manages to start a fire when airborne, for whatever reason, regardless of where it is on the airframe.

Spark Plug?






that was a joke by the way.

[eharding]

dr_gn said:

eharding said:

Ayahuasca said:

Had a passenger joyride recently in an 86 year biplane, powered by the same type of engine that took Lindbergh across the Atlantic.

Whilst hopefully few of the critical parts were actually themselves 86 years old, it did lead me to ponder on what single part, if it were to fail, would be most disastrous (pilot's heart excepted).

I opted for the nut that fixes the elevator cable to the elevator.

Any other thoughts?

If you want to know the single component that worries me most, then it would be the one that manages to start a fire when airborne, for whatever reason, regardless of where it is on the airframe.

Spark Plug?






that was a joke by the way.

Fair enough - although the old Russian spark plugs we had on the Yak had the capacity to start fires in places they weren't designed to when the ceramic cores failed and blew out into the engine compartment - happened to ours once - I'd just declined the offer of a back seat ride with a mate who was off for a quick jolly, and a few minutes I was in the clubhouse, and heard in very short order 1) the Yak take off 2) the crash alarm going off 3) a very poorly M-14P completing a very abbreviated circuit. The cylinder kept firing even though one of the plugs had gone, made a hell of a mess of the HT wiring loom and was generally a Bad Thing. We now run western plugs.

[kurt535]

More pilots than spark plugs available in the USSSR !

[Smollet]

ianrb said:

The fuselage. If that falls off you're doomed!

The same can be said about the wings. I think the tail plane assembly failing could prove quite problematical for all concerned. It happened with the WW2 Typhoon I think.

[LimaDelta]

Flying SEP an engine mount failure has to be pretty high up the list. It will fly without engine power, but not without the engine.

[mrloudly]

DuraAce said:

rohrl said:

The pilot's control stick? What would he do if it snapped or became detached?

Use the copilot's? (aircraft dependant of course)

I'd say main spar. You've a slim chance of a controlled/crash landing of sorts if various controls /systems fail, using engine thrust for directional control etc. If you're wings are no longer attached you are in trouble!

A friend, sadly no longer with us, had the control column come off in his hands during a flight in a "Lazair" microlight!!! He discovered the aircraft could be steered using differential throttle and altitude could be controlled by applying and removing power from both engines. A successful landing was made at Sywell in Northampton across the runway! A mini "Sioux City" incident I guess!

There's also a famous case where a "Zlin" aerobatic aircraft broke it's main wing spar and got down OK. See story three: http://www.historynet.com/the-10-greatest-emergenc...

For me it wouldn't be so much a failure but anything that locked the pitch control system (elevator) wouldn't be good! Loose articles have caused quite a few nasty accidents...

[Ali Chappussy]

You are all wrong...........................it's the golden rivet!

[jshell]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

doogz said:

Aloha 243. Lots of them survived.

The fuselage didn't fall off - the roof did.

My arse would have chewed itself through the seat, the floor and right down to the outer skin if I'd have been on that...

[No Bend]

Contents of the fuel tank.

[Munter]

kurt535 said:

4. main spar - things would look very bad for you if this gave up

<Shudder>: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

[Mojocvh]

The nut[job?] holding the wheel?

[Simpo Two]

Mojocvh said:

The nut[job?] holding the wheel?

That could be it.

[Dr Jekyll]

No Bend said:

Contents of the fuel tank.

Not the most critical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_2...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

[Dr Jekyll]

Mojocvh said:

The nut[job?] holding the wheel?

Again not as critical as Pilots like to think.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornfield_Bomber

[LHRFlightman]

Fuel. Without it your options are limited.

[No Bend]

Dr Jekyll said:

No Bend said:

Contents of the fuel tank.

Not the most critical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_2...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

Hard for the flight to begin without it. (Gliders don't take off by themselves…)

[Dr Jekyll]

No Bend said:

Dr Jekyll said:

No Bend said:

Contents of the fuel tank.

Not the most critical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_2...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

Hard for the flight to begin without it. (Gliders don't take off by themselves…)

But Original Poster said:

what single part, if it were to fail, would be most disastrous

Clearly 'critical' in this context means safety critical.

[eccles]

Munter said:

kurt535 said:

4. main spar - things would look very bad for you if this gave up

<Shudder>: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

The main spar wasn't the culprit in that video, the wing plank was.

[Brother D]

eccles said:

Munter said:

kurt535 said:

4. main spar - things would look very bad for you if this gave up

<Shudder>: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A4QZAxrb28

The main spar wasn't the culprit in that video, the wing plank was.

(What's a wing plank - I've honestly never heard the term)?