Airliner Acceleration ?
Discussion
How fast do airliners accelerate and when carrying passengers do they use maximum power ? do they hold back a bit on longer runways so as not to freak the passengers out ?
I guess a lot depends on Fuel load, number of passengers etc.
Can a pilot run the engines to max thrust and hold the plane on the brakes and then release the brakes ?
The one that amazed me, didnt expect to be impressed was in 1990, got off a 747 and onto a Shorts something or other "Flying Coffin", only three or four passengers, pilot held it on the brakes and revved the nads off it and the pull seemed mind bending at the time and we were airborne amazingly quickly.
I guess a lot depends on Fuel load, number of passengers etc.
Can a pilot run the engines to max thrust and hold the plane on the brakes and then release the brakes ?
The one that amazed me, didnt expect to be impressed was in 1990, got off a 747 and onto a Shorts something or other "Flying Coffin", only three or four passengers, pilot held it on the brakes and revved the nads off it and the pull seemed mind bending at the time and we were airborne amazingly quickly.
747 (the 400 is the one I know best), is usually using about 75% of max for takeoff on a long runway on a short route, eg <8hrs. As above, it is more eng wear costs than fuel.
Longest TO on a heavy 74 I noted was 65 secs out of Singapore ie hot and very heavy AC due fuel load for a long flight. Max thrust is rare. Twin jets have surplus thrust due to requirement to make a min ht by the end of the runway in the event of an eng failure.
Also the reduction of thrust has a minimum, so a very light departure, eg a ferry trip to Cardiff, may use the min thurst allowable, but have the fastest acceleration.
Longest TO on a heavy 74 I noted was 65 secs out of Singapore ie hot and very heavy AC due fuel load for a long flight. Max thrust is rare. Twin jets have surplus thrust due to requirement to make a min ht by the end of the runway in the event of an eng failure.
Also the reduction of thrust has a minimum, so a very light departure, eg a ferry trip to Cardiff, may use the min thurst allowable, but have the fastest acceleration.
The last time I flew from Cardiff was on a 747-300 to Florida. The pilot held it on the brakes and had the engines revving like mad, when he let the brakes off it really seemed to accelerate rapidly. It was totally different to taking off from Heathrow on a 747 where they accelerate more gradually.
Mabbs9 said:
747 (the 400 is the one I know best), is usually using about 75% of max for takeoff on a long runway on a short route, eg <8hrs. As above, it is more eng wear costs than fuel.
Longest TO on a heavy 74 I noted was 65 secs out of Singapore ie hot and very heavy AC due fuel load for a long flight. Max thrust is rare. Twin jets have surplus thrust due to requirement to make a min ht by the end of the runway in the event of an eng failure.
Also the reduction of thrust has a minimum, so a very light departure, eg a ferry trip to Cardiff, may use the min thurst allowable, but have the fastest acceleration.
You do realise, that by asking the question, the OP probably isn't in aviation, so go easy on the abbreviations. Thanks. Longest TO on a heavy 74 I noted was 65 secs out of Singapore ie hot and very heavy AC due fuel load for a long flight. Max thrust is rare. Twin jets have surplus thrust due to requirement to make a min ht by the end of the runway in the event of an eng failure.
Also the reduction of thrust has a minimum, so a very light departure, eg a ferry trip to Cardiff, may use the min thurst allowable, but have the fastest acceleration.
My mate used to fly BEA regularly to Manchester on the Vickers Vsnguard. Said the Heathrow t/0 was ok ,but the return trip had it hard up against the perimetr fence ( he swears they reversed the thing along the runway until the main under carriage was about to got off the end.Pilot used to sit on the brakes Rev the engines until everything was shakin to bits, then release the brakes. said it was the fast thing he had ever experienced until he was on a lightly loaded BA757 and the pilot gave tht the beans up to 3000ft in zero secs!!!
MitchT said:
Interesting. Many years ago I was on an Iceland Air flight out of Keflavik - on departure the pilot announced we would be having a 'brief low level sightseeing tour of the area' before turning for our destination - whereupon he proceeded to do what felt like exactly what that video shows. We spent I think about 5 minutes around the Keflavik area executing quite sharp turns at an altitude where it felt like the wings were going to scrape the ground in the turn....!Just out of interest is there a technical reason they do this? I always assumed it wasn't just that they fancied a bit of a joyride and there must have been a reason behind it?!
Edit to add - I realise that video is part of an air show, which explains why they were doing it in that particular instance!
Two years ago we flew from Da Nang in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia on a 320, with a Typhoon bearing down on the town. Wind and rain were vicious, all the smaller flights were canceled and the airline was getting aircraft that were allowed to fly out of the airport sharpish, before everywhere was locked down.
We were on the last flight out and I've never felt an aircraft accelerate so hard or climb so swiftly. Flown quite alot with 146 out of London City and Heraklion sticking out as interesting, they weren't even close.
Really opened my eyes to what a modern aircraft is capable of if needed.
In the departure lounge before the flight, we met the flight crew (British) and asked them if flying conditions would be as interesting for them as they were for us. One of them gave the stock,'no trouble, well within the aircraft's capabilities', but the other, as they left said 'yes, it'll be a good one' with a very broad grin.
We were on the last flight out and I've never felt an aircraft accelerate so hard or climb so swiftly. Flown quite alot with 146 out of London City and Heraklion sticking out as interesting, they weren't even close.
Really opened my eyes to what a modern aircraft is capable of if needed.
In the departure lounge before the flight, we met the flight crew (British) and asked them if flying conditions would be as interesting for them as they were for us. One of them gave the stock,'no trouble, well within the aircraft's capabilities', but the other, as they left said 'yes, it'll be a good one' with a very broad grin.
RDBx said:
Two years ago we flew from Da Nang in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia on a 320, with a Typhoon bearing down on the town. Wind and rain were vicious, all the smaller flights were canceled and the airline was getting aircraft that were allowed to fly out of the airport sharpish, before everywhere was locked down.
We were on the last flight out and I've never felt an aircraft accelerate so hard or climb so swiftly. Flown quite alot with 146 out of London City and Heraklion sticking out as interesting, they weren't even close.
Really opened my eyes to what a modern aircraft is capable of if needed.
In the departure lounge before the flight, we met the flight crew (British) and asked them if flying conditions would be as interesting for them as they were for us. One of them gave the stock,'no trouble, well within the aircraft's capabilities', but the other, as they left said 'yes, it'll be a good one' with a very broad grin.
Good post, reminded me of being a younger chap on one of my first trips to the big smoke, on a proper aeroplane and everything ! anyway, was playing the role of seasoned business traveller on a 146 coming into LCA and the pilot appeared to slam the brakes on in the sky, it made me give out an involuntary noise that was at best alarming, at worst camp, god, those things can come in steep !We were on the last flight out and I've never felt an aircraft accelerate so hard or climb so swiftly. Flown quite alot with 146 out of London City and Heraklion sticking out as interesting, they weren't even close.
Really opened my eyes to what a modern aircraft is capable of if needed.
In the departure lounge before the flight, we met the flight crew (British) and asked them if flying conditions would be as interesting for them as they were for us. One of them gave the stock,'no trouble, well within the aircraft's capabilities', but the other, as they left said 'yes, it'll be a good one' with a very broad grin.
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff