Name that aeroplane!

[pcolbeck]

By gliding I mean as in being able set it down at a speed which means you will not all die.

A jet is also moving at fair lick so it will take a while to come to rest once the power cuts out, you probably couldn't drop a jumbo from freefall at altitude and expect it to follow any kind of usable glide path, in this sense it acts more like a projectile than an actual glider. Fast jets like fighters are worse, hence the ejector seat.

You could drop a Jumbo from a (very big) balloon stationary relative to teh ground and still land it safely so long as you dropped it from high enough. You would node dive the Jumbo until it was moving fast enough to get enough airflow over the control surfaces and then gradually pull it out of the dive. Would be very hard though. No idea what the recovery from spin characteristics of a Jumbo are and it might well go into a spin when you dropped it. Also if you let if get going too fast in the dive then the wings would rip off as you tried to pull out.

[Zoidburg]

By gliding I mean as in being able set it down at a speed which means you will not all die.

A jet is also moving at fair lick so it will take a while to come to rest once the power cuts out, you probably couldn't drop a jumbo from freefall at altitude and expect it to follow any kind of usable glide path, in this sense it acts more like a projectile than an actual glider. Fast jets like fighters are worse, hence the ejector seat.

You could drop a Jumbo from a (very big) balloon stationary relative to teh ground and still land it safely so long as you dropped it from high enough. You would node dive the Jumbo until it was moving fast enough to get enough airflow over the control surfaces and then gradually pull it out of the dive. Would be very hard though. No idea what the recovery from spin characteristics of a Jumbo are and it might well go into a spin when you dropped it. Also if you let if get going too fast in the dive then the wings would rip off as you tried to pull out.

You cant go that fast, freefall has a speed limit, something around 170mph IIRC.

[nuttycyclist]

You cant go that fast, freefall has a speed limit, something around 170mph IIRC.

Ball park figures, based on the internet, so I'm probably wrong...

Take off speed of 747 is 180mph, 737 is 150mph and A320 is 170mph.  Therefore stall speed for "a jumbo" should be below 170mph so the theoretical dropping from high enough might allow the aircraft to get up to a speed sufficient enough to pull out of the dive and into a glide.  Much the same as a paper plane (which is where my expertise lies).

[Adam]

For a 747 or any aircraft, the minimum flying speed V_S will vary mainly according to the configuration of the plane ie amount of any flaps or lift devices deployed, its weight and the altitude.  Typically for an 747 it would be around 180 kts in a clean configuration down to 110 kts with full flaps.

[pcolbeck]

You cant go that fast, freefall has a speed limit, something around 170mph IIRC.

There is no specific limit on the speed achieved in freefall. Terminal velocity is dependant on the air resistance of the object falling. In a vacuum the object would continue to accelerate until it hit the ground. In air you accelerate until the force exerted by air resistance exactly balances the accelerating force of gravity. Terminal velocity for a human is about 125mph but I have no idea what it would be for the average jet liner.

[Martin]

The one leading, you clots! Before any smart alec says anything!!

an ME108?

[Zoidburg]

You cant go that fast, freefall has a speed limit, something around 170mph IIRC.

There is no specific limit on the speed achieved in freefall. Terminal velocity is dependant on the air resistance of the object falling. In a vacuum the object would continue to accelerate until it hit the ground. In air you accelerate until the force exerted by air resistance exactly balances the accelerating force of gravity. Terminal velocity for a human is about 125mph but I have no idea what it would be for the average jet liner.

But there is a limit, the gravitational pull of earth will only allow you to free fall at a certain velocity, air resistance or not. From moving from the start of the earths gravity well to the actual surface at sea level there must be a speed limit. The earth has only so much gravitational pull.

Terminal velocity for a human is about 150-170 mph in the delta position when free falling IIRC. This is all relevant to in atmosphere flight only BTW, not meteors or the like that have spun off some galatic plane at super velocity milions of light years away and then burned the atmosphere until splashdown.

[pcolbeck]

Not correct. There was an American guy who jumped from a balloon at some ridiculous height and he reached over 600mph at one point before deploying his chute. I thing he even had a small drogue shoot for stabilisation all the way down.

[andrew_s]

Not correct. There was an American guy who jumped from a balloon at some ridiculous height and he reached over 600mph at one point before deploying his chute. I thing he even had a small drogue shoot for stabilisation all the way down.

31.3 km
Project Excelsior - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There's a chap planning a 120,000 ft jump, if he can raise the funds.
High Altitude Parachute Jump from the Edge of Space

[David Martin]

I think this one counts as 'lost'

The Courier: Taking you to the heart of Tayside and Fife

[Zoidburg]

Not correct. There was an American guy who jumped from a balloon at some ridiculous height and he reached over 600mph at one point before deploying his chute. I thing he even had a small drogue shoot for stabilisation all the way down.

That wasn't in atmosphere though was it, it was the edge of space.

Say you are jumping without the need for oxygen you arent going to reach 600mph are you?

[noisycrank]

How about this one?

[Adam]

I've stood under there!

Vulcan.

[noisycrank]

Under the cockpit are pictures of two bombs with Argentinian flags. as I moved out from underneath there was a hispanic family talking about the Malvenas.

[bomber]

What's this one then;

Easy really but nice excuse for some shameless posing

[Adam]

Cessna 206 Stationair float plane.

That looks very idyllic - is it somewhere in South Africa?

[bomber]

Lake Taupo, New Zealand.  Went in a helicopter over the bay of islands as well, now that was idyllic

[neilcu]

A very easy one.  I know a lot of people here are fans of these.  Taken over Saddleworth last Sunday.

[finch]

Under the cockpit are pictures of two bombs with Argentinian flags. as I moved out from underneath there was a hispanic family talking about the Malvenas.

That's East Fortune . I worked there and have sat in THAT cockpit

[Hilldodger]

Is it called Eric?

[alan]

Is it called Eric?

You're getting confused with Ernie

[Tourist Tony]

No, that aircraft would be called "Melinda"

[Riggers]

"Nice one" (as in The Inbetweeners)

[noisycrank]

How about this cockpit.

[TimO]

A very easy one.  I know a lot of people here are fans of these.  Taken over Saddleworth last Sunday.

Lancaster isn't it?  I'm no expert on WW2 bombers, but as I recall the Halifax has squarer vertical stabilisers (that and I don't think any Halifax's are still flying).

Of course I'm probably wrong, and it's something much more obscure...

What's the round bump below the aircraft, or is that just part of the inboard engine cowling?  Very briefly I though it might be a Shackleton AEW, but it doesn't look at all correct, other than that bump (and I don't think any of the RAFs AEW ones are still flying).