Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

Commercial Airliners

Status
Not open for further replies.
Saw "Flight" starring Denzil Washington last night.
Would it be possible for a commercial aircraft to have been flown inverted or was that pure fiction?

Generally, no. I haven't seen that movie so I don't know what maneuver was proposed, but aerobatic (or acrobatically competent) aircraft tend to have high thrust/weight ratios, have high structural integrity (can take high force loads), and frequently straight wing design (i.e., more like the Spitfire* and less like the Concorde). But if you can keep g-loads down, and you have enough altitude to work with, even a heavy airliner could potentially do some upside down flight**. (And by "do some" I mean recover without structural failure and before ground-induced sudden deceleration)

But you can definitely fly upside down with very low g-loads, if you know what you're doing



It also helps that Bob Hoover flew like a god among men

*The Spitfire may be the most beautiful wing ever designed for its purpose, but was very expensive to design (all elliptical and near-elliptical designs are). For reference, the F22 wing is almost a modern version of the elliptical design, although some of this design is for low radar signature as well as low drag

**although I've been told that many commercial airliners could never do a barrel roll and at best could accomplish a split S if they were ever upset and inverted

 
For reference, the F22 wing is almost a modern version of the elliptical design, although some of this design is for low radar signature as well as low drag
Mate. That is not the F-22. What you are linking there is the Northrop/McDonald Douglas YF-23 (i mean, the aircraft is even labelled!!), the competitor to the eventual F-22 for the ATF program. It was stealthier and faster than the YF-22 but not as agile. That particular YF-23 is Black Widow II.

This, however, is the F-22:

1444842379440.png
 
Mate. That is not the F-22. What you are linking there is the Northrop/McDonald Douglas YF-23 (i mean, the aircraft is even labelled!!), the competitor to the eventual F-22 for the ATF program. It was stealthier and faster than the YF-22 but not as agile. That particular YF-23 is Black Widow II.

This, however, is the F-22:

1444842379440.png

Haha, whoops. RTFL?
 

Norwegian Airlines Dreamliner knocked 53 minutes off it’s scheduled crossing of the Atlantic today between NYC and Gatwick and setting a new record of 5hrs 13 mins for a normal subsonic airliner.....ably assisted by a 202mph tailwind. That is some push! I imagine flights going to the US were somewhat long and bumpy today if they had a similar headwind
 
Norwegian Airlines Dreamliner knocked 53 minutes off it’s scheduled crossing of the Atlantic today between NYC and Gatwick and setting a new record of 5hrs 13 mins for a normal subsonic airliner.....ably assisted by a 202mph tailwind. That is some push! I imagine flights going to the US were somewhat long and bumpy today if they had a similar headwind

Shear stress between fast moving and slow moving air causes a lot of turbulence, but it's possible that fast moving air itself isn't too turbulent, if you stay in the jetstream. That's some tailwind.
 

We've had a GOT crewmember go missing, something about losing a baby in a barrel roll (although I somehow missed that post, so I'm recounting the story third hand). If you can help pick up the slack all of the forum will be in your debt.
Was this a mis-post? I have no idea what is going on here......beer maybe?
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Back
Top