Random facts about planes..
Discussion
bad company said:
Even new aircraft still have an ashtray in the toilets although smoking is obviously banned.
Apparently it's to stop anybody throwing cigarette ends into the wast paper container causing a fire risk.
They're mandatory safety items - if one is missing or broken you're staying on the ground till it's fixed. Telegraph - British Airways flight delayed by missing ashtrayApparently it's to stop anybody throwing cigarette ends into the wast paper container causing a fire risk.
Jamesgt said:
Signals from mobile phones cause aircraft to get lost. Most worryingly the auto land feature may not work causing the pilot to earn his money for the day.
It's worse than that. You only autoland in fog so if the "auto land feature" isn't working, you have to go somewhere else where it isn't foggy. In the UK that could mean ending up in Manchester or Glasgow or even Amsterdam when you wanted to go to Heathrow. The airline will then have you beaten up.
Atomic12C said:
The start procedure for a jet engine is not just pressing a button and off you go...
Step 1 - use an external compressed air source to start spinning the blades/internal compression system. (or use plane's own auxiliary power unit if available)
Step 2 - wait until a specific minimum revolution velocity has been reached.
Step 3 - then introduce fuel and wait for ignition
Step 4 - then allow the engine to become self powered
Step 5 - allow the engine to stabalize.
Step 6 - air pressure from engine one can then be channeled to engine two for its own start up procedure.
Depends on the aircraft, Many jets have an auto start button. Where you only make one or two selections and the aircraft decides when or if to add the fuel or not. Step 1 - use an external compressed air source to start spinning the blades/internal compression system. (or use plane's own auxiliary power unit if available)
Step 2 - wait until a specific minimum revolution velocity has been reached.
Step 3 - then introduce fuel and wait for ignition
Step 4 - then allow the engine to become self powered
Step 5 - allow the engine to stabalize.
Step 6 - air pressure from engine one can then be channeled to engine two for its own start up procedure.
AVV EM said:
My contribution -
The air you breathe in whilst on board an aircraft is actually 'bleed air' from the compressor stage of the turbine engine.
Depends again on the type. The air you breathe in whilst on board an aircraft is actually 'bleed air' from the compressor stage of the turbine engine.
787 for instance doesn't use bleed air from the engines. Bleed air systems are being phased out as they're complex, costly, and use more fuel. There is also a risk of nasty stuff from the engine ending up in the air in the cabin.
A RAF Merlin helicopter can take off, fly to a destination, hover into wind and stop 20ft above the ground all automatically without the pilots ever touching the flying controls.
Once the helicopter is ready to fly the pilots are only "needed" (by the aircraft) to push the "take-off" button at the start, push the "I agree for the helicopter to descend from 60ft to 20ft" button and finally to push the collective down for the last 20ft (which has to be done by a human for safety) at the end.
Pretty amazing when you think about it!
Once the helicopter is ready to fly the pilots are only "needed" (by the aircraft) to push the "take-off" button at the start, push the "I agree for the helicopter to descend from 60ft to 20ft" button and finally to push the collective down for the last 20ft (which has to be done by a human for safety) at the end.
Pretty amazing when you think about it!
Edited by IanH755 on Tuesday 11th April 15:34
Simpo Two said:
I wonder if the cascade of falling masks actually cause more panic than they save? The pilot would head for 10,000
feet PDQ anyway.
Passenger oxygen usually lasts for around 12 mins depending on the aircraft. It's actually quite hard to depressurise an aircraft. Air gets pumped in through air conditioning packs either from outside, or bleed air from the engine. The flow is regulated through outflow valves on the outside of the fuselage. They can provide a lot of air so if you get an explosive depressurisation it would be from a fairly large hole somewhere, much larger than a window. feet PDQ anyway.
If there was a large hole and structural integrity was in doubt say a bomb or explosion in the hold etc, the pilots would likely limit the rate of descent. To something a bit more gentle than what the aircraft was capable of.
Also if you suddenly start diving down in busy airspace, you are probably going to meet fellow travelers on the way down.
El stovey said:
Depends again on the type.
787 for instance doesn't use bleed air from the engines. Bleed air systems are being phased out as they're complex, costly, and use more fuel. There is also a risk of nasty stuff from the engine ending up in the air in the cabin.
They also don't need as much airflow now that smoking's been banned on flights. How's it done now, some form of electrical compressor and heater?787 for instance doesn't use bleed air from the engines. Bleed air systems are being phased out as they're complex, costly, and use more fuel. There is also a risk of nasty stuff from the engine ending up in the air in the cabin.
RizzoTheRat said:
El stovey said:
Depends again on the type.
787 for instance doesn't use bleed air from the engines. Bleed air systems are being phased out as they're complex, costly, and use more fuel. There is also a risk of nasty stuff from the engine ending up in the air in the cabin.
They also don't need as much airflow now that smoking's been banned on flights. How's it done now, some form of electrical compressor and heater?787 for instance doesn't use bleed air from the engines. Bleed air systems are being phased out as they're complex, costly, and use more fuel. There is also a risk of nasty stuff from the engine ending up in the air in the cabin.
On the 787 they look like this
El stovey said:
Jamesgt said:
Signals from mobile phones cause aircraft to get lost. Most worryingly the auto land feature may not work causing the pilot to earn his money for the day.
It's worse than that. You only autoland in fog so if the "auto land feature" isn't working, you have to go somewhere else where it isn't foggy. In the UK that could mean ending up in Manchester or Glasgow or even Amsterdam when you wanted to go to Heathrow. The airline will then have you beaten up.
Nanook said:
This would have been circa 2000.
Were BA still flying 100/200s then?
100s were built in very small numbers. The only customers for new 100s were Lufthansa (the 737 launch customer) and what was at the time known as Malaysian Singapore Airlines (MSA).Were BA still flying 100/200s then?
Boeing realised quite early on that market demand for the shorter 100 was not going to be great so they almost immediately launched a longer version which they called the 200. This proved a lot more popular - although it has to be said that Boeing were very concerned until the mid 1970s about the volume of orders for the 737.
It was only as the 70s came to an end that 737 orders began to pile up.
Nanook said:
pushthebutton said:
Sounds like a 100/200 and not a 400.
http://www.b737.org.uk/emergency_equipment.htm#Pas...
300s onwards have chemically generated oxygen for the passengers.
This would have been circa 2000.http://www.b737.org.uk/emergency_equipment.htm#Pas...
300s onwards have chemically generated oxygen for the passengers.
Were BA still flying 100/200s then?
TVR1 said:
Oh, and my tuppence;
There is no chicken. Thats the smell of the bird the engine ingested.
Temp up to sleep. Sleeping passengers are happy passengers.
Lower the temp to wake 'em up.
That is an apocryphal story I'm afraid. The cabin manager can alter the temp., but the master control is on the flight deck and they would not allow such temperature variations.There is no chicken. Thats the smell of the bird the engine ingested.
Temp up to sleep. Sleeping passengers are happy passengers.
Lower the temp to wake 'em up.
How about a saucer in the toilets with a couple of coins in with the hope that passengers may add to the pile as a sort of tip.
Or the engineer who fixed a dodgy toilet and put 'rectumfied' in the aircraft technical log.
Or the stewardess who went striaght to bed on arrival at the crew hotel and in the morning when unpacking discovered a dead body in the wardrobe.
Or the steward and stewardess who had to share a room, because the crew hotel was overbooked...........
Before each flight, every member of the cabin crew has to answer a some questions about the aircraft they are about to fly on, such is which overhead bin is the axe stored in, how many first aid kits are there, how many sugars does the captain have in his coffee etc. They are allowed to fail the safety questions but if anyone gets the sugar question wrong they are not allowed to fly and a substitute crew member is brought in.
48k said:
Before each flight, every member of the cabin crew has to answer a some questions about the aircraft they are about to fly on, such is which overhead bin is the axe stored in, how many first aid kits are there, how many sugars does the captain have in his coffee etc. They are allowed to fail the safety questions but if anyone gets the sugar question wrong they are not allowed to fly and a substitute crew member is brought in.
Captains, being upright and healthy types, do not have sugar in or on, anything.
Used to work on c130 hercs, did you know the yanks once landed one on an aircraft carrier and took off later (not a touch and go). It used rockets facing forward and backwards to assist with accelerating and decelerating.
Later testing didn't go so well when one of the pilots set the rockets off early on approach and they he thing fell out the sky from about 100ft.
Videos are on YouTube.
Later testing didn't go so well when one of the pilots set the rockets off early on approach and they he thing fell out the sky from about 100ft.
Videos are on YouTube.
nonsequitur said:
Without any power the 747 can glide for some distance.
The Tristar a/c had an underfloor galley with all the food and ovens etc and lifts to take it all to the main deck.
The crew rest bunks on the 747 are directly under the tail fuel tank, and above the aft toilets.
The captains authority is enshrined in UK law.
The liferafts have enough basic rations for up to 80 people.
Turbulence can hit at any time, so ALWAYS keep your belt fastened at all times when seated. This prevents you from visiting the roof.
Without any power any aircraft can glide for some distance.The Tristar a/c had an underfloor galley with all the food and ovens etc and lifts to take it all to the main deck.
The crew rest bunks on the 747 are directly under the tail fuel tank, and above the aft toilets.
The captains authority is enshrined in UK law.
The liferafts have enough basic rations for up to 80 people.
Turbulence can hit at any time, so ALWAYS keep your belt fastened at all times when seated. This prevents you from visiting the roof.
"Some distance" being likely to be a whole lot further for a Lockheed U2 than a Cessna 172.
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