The General Airplane Thread

  • Thread starter Crash
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A nice read;
Anyway, probably working the controls so hard the poor aeroplane had no time to react, I dutifully slammed my Tomcat into the deck and was wrenched to a halt in about 300 feet. That’s the bit you don’t practice ashore, and it takes the breath away – though according to “Smiley” clearly not completely, because I was screaming. Apparently. Don’t remember which wire it was, that first one didn’t matter. It is quite likely I even had to be told to select idle power – a lot of first timers keep there throttles parked all the way forward until they get the laconic “we got you, son...” from the AirBoss. Like I said, it was a blur.

Full story: http://globalaviationresource.com/reports/2011/landingandstopping.php
 
A sudden thought came across my mind: How do "flying wing" aircraft like the B-2 Spirit control their yaw if they don't have a rudder?
 
CallmeDan
A sudden thought came across my mind: How do "flying wing" aircraft like the B-2 Spirit control their yaw if they don't have a rudder?
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Lot's of computer chips and many surface controls...if the avionics went out it'd fall out of the sky. :scared:
 
catamount39
Lot's of computer chips and many surface controls...if the avionics went out it'd fall out of the sky. :scared:
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Ok. I thought that it might have to do with slightly reducing power to one engine, but that sounds impractical.
 
CallmeDan
A sudden thought came across my mind: How do "flying wing" aircraft like the B-2 Spirit control their yaw if they don't have a rudder?
Click to expand...

catamount39
Lot's of computer chips and many surface controls...if the avionics went out it'd fall out of the sky. :scared:
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It is true that modern flying wings, and quite a few of the latest jets, need computing power to remain in stable flight, however, that was not always the case. You can track the design of the flying wing back to the early 1900's. I have been fascinated with airfoils for many years and the flying wing has intrigued me the most. Enough that me and a friend have worked on the design of a two place aircraft based on the airfoil of the Me163 Komet. Though not exactly a flying wing, we took the basic design, tweaked it and it turned out to be a great flying wing. We have since added a couple of vertical surfaces though, more to make it seem like a "normal" aircraft to appease those not in the know. We fly the design in X-plane simulator and have flown it with a 100hp Rotax all the way to using a rocket engine.
The flying wing is not a stable platform in yaw, so many "tricks" have been employed over the years. The most common is to create some form of differential drag, or twist, and washout so the aircraft actually yaws in the direction of that wing. As the other wing is doing the same, it creates longitudinal stability.
That is a very basic explanation as there is so much more involved. If it interests you, just do a search for "flying wing designs", there is a ton of info out there at your fingertips. Start with a search for the "Horton brothers flying wing".
 
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As far as B-2's go, I believe there were two of them taking off at Edwards AFB some time last year and the computer(s?) failed right after takeoff.
 
CallmeDan
A sudden thought came across my mind: How do "flying wing" aircraft like the B-2 Spirit control their yaw if they don't have a rudder?
Click to expand...

The B-2 uses split alierons to yaw

002.jpg


In this image the left and right alierons are open, but if one were to close, the drag on that side of the plane would be reduced and it would start to move ahead of the other wing.

Swagger897
As far as B-2's go, I believe there were two of them taking off at Edwards AFB some time last year and the computer(s?) failed right after takeoff.
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Do you mean the crash in Guam? I believe it was poor maintenance. Water got into one of the sensors which caused the flight computer to get incorrect data.
 
Sounds like anti skid failure....I have landed the 135 many times at Eilson AK where the runway surface was ICE and we used "ice grip" tires (tires with wire embedded in the tread). Even with the ice grips, if there was an anti skid failure, or a moderate wind gust...the aircraft would rotate into the wind or landing gear without anti skid. It was not in all likelyhood Pilot Error. It is REALLY SCARY landing on a slippery runway with ANY airplane in a frigging snow storm...all it takes is one itty bitty little something to change the vector and your are ballistic....along for the ride...and ejecting it is frowned on in airliners ( not to mention impossible).
 
When aviation accidents happen I typically stay away from major media outlets... primarily CNN. Aviation Herald is way better for this kind of stuff 👍

I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt though.

And in other news, Harrison Ford owns a Ryan PT22. Emergency landing on a golf course just after takeoff. Sustained injuries but nothing too serious by the sound of it.
 
I got to go flying again last weekend (sorta twice)... First time out it was around 8 am but the ceiling was only 1500 msl and field elevation is 600, so too close to the ground for the 172 which doesn't have a pitot heater or any anti-ice equip...

Then later on we went around from KLGC to Clayton Co-Tara (4A7 I think) and direct back. Stupid me took my camera on both trips but I never changed the ISO from 1600 to 100 (was very cloudy in the morning and then clear as could be later) and the pictures turned out too noisy..

Saw a Citation XLS (i'll get that photo up tomorrow) that I tried to find who owns it on the net but too hard to find...
 
So I've flown light aircraft a few times, but it's particularly expensive and as I don't intend to become a commercial pilot I'm not too sure I care for getting my PPL just to potter around the South Wales skies, so...

... I've given myself the next 5 years (until I'm 30) to fly a Glider solo. And do a loop. The loop is important.
 
ExigeEvan
So I've flown light aircraft a few times, but it's particularly expensive and as I don't intend to become a commercial pilot I'm not too sure I care for getting my PPL just to potter around the South Wales skies, so...

... I've given myself the next 5 years (until I'm 30) to fly a Glider solo. And do a loop. The loop is important.
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I would like that too. But the money part is a bummer. I've flown light aircraft once and can't wait to get another go at it! I think it was an Aero AT3.. They are a little bit cheaper now, I paid 365 Euros last time and they now ask 285 Euros for one hour of flying time.

And they also offer a Blackshape Prime, for the same price, with loopings :dopey: Another reason to go back!
 
Swagger897
Here is what it takes to get a private pilots license, but there is also a sports pilot license but those have weight limitations on aircraft (a little bit above ultralights)...

I'm not exactly sure what my friend got who took me up but he did it in 17 hours....
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That's 2 hours less than what I needed for my car license! Awesome though. Nice life goal for the future :) Wouldn't mind going to the States for a couple of months. Or years..
 
Carlos
That's 2 hours less than what I needed for my car license! Awesome though. Nice life goal for the future :) Wouldn't mind going to the States for a couple of months. Or years..
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CAR LICENSE? YOU NEED HOURS TO GET A CAR LICENSE?

Dude, this side of the Atlantic is your home then...
 
Swagger897
CAR LICENSE? YOU NEED HOURS TO GET A CAR LICENSE?

Dude, this side of the Atlantic is your home then...
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Yeah apparently driving a shtick is very very hard for some :lol: 30 to 40 lessons (1 lesson is an hour) are pretty normal for the not car minded person.. I'm now busy with my bike license, same story all over again. Need to pass three exams :ouch:

So one way ticket then? ;)

And some formality for being offtopic..
 
So I think I've said it in here before, but my dad is an airline pilot [captain]. Whenever there's a big air disaster, I usually chat with him about how it's affecting his job or how his passengers act afterwards. Sometimes passengers are annoying about it, like "hopefully we're not flying into SFO today" [after the Asiana crash] or something else tasteless and stupid.

This Germanwings crash though is much different, because it wasn't an accident or terrorism [as far as we know], but seemingly a co-pilot betraying his crew and passengers. I asked him today what impact that would have, and he said it probably wouldn't be too much until the official reports are all finalized, but that anything was possible. But someone had already brought in a Rorschach test to troll a co-pilot they were friends with :lol:
 
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Just got back from St. Petersburg (FL) and had the misfortune to fly on the MD-88 and the MD-90 (read vietnam era design DC-9 now made by MD). The 88 was CROWDED...being smaller with the same number of PAX. Fare was 181 from Nashville TN to ATL to Tampa. Air time from Nashville to ATL 39 minutes from throttle to brakes. Time to to Tampa from ATL about 1 plus 15. Spent more time in ATL in their AWFUL airport than airborne.

The Indy Car and Pirelli World Challenge (GT-3, GT-4 and Porsche Cup) races in St. Pete were awesome....put them on your bucket list. A mini Monaco with nicer people and lower prices....and access to the cars.....

My aviation picture of the day....
19 OV-10 close trail over Koon-ni 74.jpg


Close trail aero on the way back from Koon-ni aerial gunnery range off the end of Osan AB runway in Korea. 1974 or five. The picture is taken from the RCP of the second OV (there were three of us). I was an IP and SEFE (flight examiner) . The out of focus silver thing in the foreground is the back of the LW-3B Zero Zero Ejection Seat and the Canopy Breaker on the top. The seat goes right through the Canopy. That is the yellow sea in the background.
 

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