02-07-2009, 11:52 AM | #45 | |
Lieutenant
37
Rep 561
Posts |
Quote:
Quite a few airlines have ditched in the water with little sucess but not on this scale. There are alot of factors and real world differences. Hitting water at high speeds, even the minimum to keep the aircraft from stalling, is still like hitting concrete on impact. Airbus, Boeing, Embraer...etc won't destroy a multi-million dollar aircraft just to see how well it does a water landing. They do see how well it handles load bending (at least 1.5 times more than the load factor) and wings will be pulled up from near the tips while the aircraft is strapped down and they keep bending it til it breaks. There is a video out there named 'The building of the 777' and it shows the destruction of the wings after they put it to more than 1.5 the load factor and held it there for some time required. The wings were almost vertical before it snapped! It took almost more than 2.0 load factor to break it. Other than that, they'll put one of the unairworthy aircraft on the side for life cycle faitague testing. There is alot of testing they do on the first or second aircraft off the line for certification. One part of certification will be to take the aircraft fully loaded to maximum takeoff weight with it's brakes worn down to it's limits, do a takeoff run basically up to 200mph and reject it and use the brakes alone to stop the aircraft (no spoilers or thrust reversers use would be allowed). The aircraft needs to stop, wait 2 mins, then turn off the runway (even with all of it's main tires flat) and sit 5 to 10 mins without the brakes catching on fire. Then the fire dept will come over and cool the brakes. Brakes gets red hot, tire fuse plugs melt, tire pressures is released to avoid explosion, aircraft sits and passes certification without the brakes catching on fire, no tires explodes, and it does what it's designed to do and in accordance with the regulations. Now try finding the video of a A340 rejected takeoff...it failed on the first attempt. Brakes caught on fire, tires exploded, wheels blew apart and the aircraft got damaged badly. Airbus tried to cover it up and didn't want anyone to see it. Someone managed to get ahold of the video and posted it on the internet but it was a good few years ago since I saw it. The brakes and wheels were redesigned and had to be tested again before it would pass certification. Now you know why aircraft parts are so expensive... |
|
Appreciate
0
|
02-07-2009, 12:01 PM | #46 |
Major General
582
Rep 7,519
Posts
Drives: 2009 E90 335i MT
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Vinton, Virginia
|
So, if the next time you fly US Airways and your seat is soggy, you'll know 777ER was right!
__________________
2009 E90 335i Montego Blue · Black Leather · Burl Walnut · 6MT · US Spec
SatNav • ZPP • ZCW • 6FL • TPMS • iDrive • PDC • HWS • Xenons • BMW Assist • Power Rear Sunshade • Logic 7 European Taillights • Rear Foglamp • OEM Alarm • PicoTray • DataToys XM-DVR • Multi-view Processor Quaife ATB LSD • Short Shift Knob • Hartge Anti-Roll Bars • AP Racing Front Brakes • 19" Style 269 |
Appreciate
0
|
02-07-2009, 12:07 PM | #47 |
I'm takin' the day off.
111
Rep 339
Posts |
this is how most water landings end........
Ethiopian Boeing 767. The aircraft was hijacked and ran out of fuel and was forced to make a water landing in Madagascar, I think it was in the 90's.
[u2b]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zjf_eyaI50w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zjf_eyaI50w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/u2b] most on board died. |
Appreciate
0
|
02-07-2009, 12:50 PM | #48 | |
I like cars
338
Rep 5,051
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
My photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/racelap/
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|