Posted on 11/08/2017 7:22:22 AM PST by C19fan
It is known as the Queen of the Skies - the world's first jumbo jet that forever changed the face of plane travel. And on Tuesday United Airlines' last Boeing 747 was given a send-off befitting royalty as the last aircraft in the company's service completed its final flight. United Flight 747 took off from San Francisco airport around midday bound for Hawaii, the same route the company's first version of the aircraft flew back in 1970. Tickets for the specially chartered voyage sold out within hours of being released, according to USA Today, despite selling for upwards of $550 for a one-way trip.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I know. But sad nonetheless.
It is really remarkable that an aircraft with only two engines hasn’t gone down. Especially with the Airbus engines exploding the past couple years.
I will not fly on an Airbus for that very reason.
End of an ERA, that’s for sure.
Because the twin turbofan aircraft generally fly fine on one engine. In fact, some of them don’t even consider an engine failure an emergency. It’s on their checklist as an abnormal procedure.
It is really remarkable that an aircraft with only two engines hasn’t gone down. Especially with the Airbus engines exploding the past couple years.
...
Airbus doesn’t make engines, but the reliability of two engine aircraft is remarkable.
Maybe last “commercial” flight but certainly not the last flight. I one over the house during the Nuns Fire here in CA:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/747-supertanker-fights-fire-us-first-time/
They are designed such that one engine provides enough thrust to maintain lift... as you pointed out, its not a critical failure to lose an engine, the bird isn’t going to fall out of the sky.
“It is really remarkable that an aircraft with only two engines hasn’t gone down. Especially with the Airbus engines exploding the past couple years.”
The still missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was a 2 engine Boeing 777.
Air France flight 447, a two engine Airbus 330, crashed over the Atlantic Ocean June 1, 2009. All aboard were killed.
Poorly worded on my part — it does suggest that Airbus makes the engines which is obviously incorrect. I should have written “the engines on the Airbus aircraft”
I favor piston engine airliners like the DC6, DC7 and the L1049.
The engines used on Airbus are also used on Boeing aircraft, so I don’t know why Airbus should be singled out.
Thanks for pointing those out.
I was thinking about the Malaysia airliner, but that crash doesn’t seem attributable to engine failure(s).
That Air France crash was due to bad pitot tube design resulting in bad airspeed indication leading to stall and essentially pancaking the aircraft onto the ocean. Contributing factor was the second seat pilot not responding properly (going from memory here and I may not have it right). Again, not attributable to engine problems.
Fully loaded on takeoff you need both engines. One engine out is an emergncey on take off and initial climb.
Yes, you need both to take off, but that’s it... but not during flight or landing.
Airbus doesn’t make engines, but the reliability of two engine aircraft is remarkable.
The math with multi-engine planes dictates a 2-engine configuration.
If one engine of a 4 engine aircraft malfunctions, you have enough power to maintain flight. Same as a 2 engine. If 2 engines of a 4 engine aircraft malfunction, depending on weight/fuel, you may not be able to maintain altitude, and the probability of a 2-engine failure is very small.
With more engines, you have more parts, and actually increase the probability one engine may fail. Add in the drag of the added engine nacelles and it all points to a 2 engine design.
I love the 70’s outfits.
What happens in honolulu? Does it get transferred to another airline there?
Flying out of Mpls in the 80s was nearly always on 727s.
Northwest Airlines loved these airplanes.
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