Most Popular
1500 questions
248
votes
4 answers
What is the dark spot visible below the cockpit on A-10s?
On most A-10s I have seen, the area under the cockpit is darker than the rest of the plane. Is there a reason for this?
flyingfisch
- 14,539
- 22
- 78
- 144
202
votes
14 answers
Can Microsoft Flight Simulator help me learn to fly (or make me a better pilot)?
Microsoft Flight Simulator has "flight lessons" with a virtual flight instructor, some of which teach concepts that are taught during actual flight training. These simulators are becoming very realistic, and I can see them being helpful as an…
Lnafziger
- 58,886
- 39
- 242
- 423
160
votes
3 answers
Why does XKCD say that autogyros will crash if the pilot reacts to a stall as in a normal airplane?
This recent XKCD comic is all about autogyros.
Image is copyright XKCD, licensed under CC 2.5 BY-NC
The note at the bottom is what got my attention
Extremely safe, unless you do the one thing you instinctively do to escape a stall in a normal…
Machavity
- 5,993
- 2
- 28
- 57
144
votes
9 answers
Is this plane landing or departing?
I have a picture of Air Force One I took fairly up close several years ago.
Unfortunately, I don't remember if that was on arrival or departure.
Is there anything visible in the airplane's configuration (flaps, angle of gear?) that would indicate…
abelenky
- 30,696
- 9
- 92
- 143
126
votes
9 answers
How do jet fighters get to war?
Currently Australia is deploying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to the UAE to fight in Iraq. Obviously the UAE (and Iraq) is a very long way from Australia and well beyond the typical range of one of these aircraft.
On TV they literally showed the…
thexacre
- 1,260
- 2
- 8
- 8
116
votes
13 answers
Why does it take so long to develop modern military jets?
In the 1960's, it took three years to produce a flying prototype of an aircraft that flew faster than anything before, was built out of a novel construction material, used a new type of fuel, and was incredibly advanced: the Lockheed A-12. Its…
Koyovis
- 61,680
- 11
- 169
- 289
116
votes
9 answers
Is there a maximum possible size for an airplane?
Is there any theoretical or practical limit to the maximum number of passengers - and therefore size - one can build an airplane for?
Deschele Schilder
- 1
- 2
- 8
- 13
112
votes
3 answers
Why did this plane fly in a zigzag pattern?
I was tracking flight NKS739 from LAX to SEA this morning and saw that it made some some odd turns. If you look at the track from FlightRadar24.com you can see that it was heading toward SEA then it took a large turn to the right then to the left…
TomMcW
- 28,459
- 21
- 106
- 227
112
votes
4 answers
Why is the maximum speed of current fighter aircraft lower than those from the 1960's and 1970's?
While reading about the characteristics of the newest fighter aircraft, I observed that their maximum speed is lower than of the aircraft in the same roles half a century ago.
For example, the iconic F-14 and Mig-25 have a higher maximum speed than…
vsz
- 2,001
- 2
- 15
- 20
109
votes
7 answers
Can a fighter jet be stolen?
What (if any) sort of pilot authentication systems do fighter jets have?
Could anyone with the required skills simply take the aircraft or is a key or authorization code required?
user371366
- 1,123
- 2
- 7
- 10
108
votes
14 answers
Can a passenger realistically replace suddenly incapacitated pilots?
Yes, this is a question from the movies. Assume that the plane is in flight and in perfect mechanical conditions. However, all the pilots onboard are suddenly incapacitated.
Can a passenger without any previous flight experience realistically save…
sdfsdf
- 1,225
- 3
- 9
- 5
105
votes
2 answers
Why do airlines follow these routes between Barcelona and Düsseldorf?
In the wake of GermanWings' terrible incident of flight 9525, I have noticed that the crash location is quite far from the shortest route connecting the two airports.
I then went on FlightRadar24's website and checked that this is the normal route…
Federico
- 32,559
- 17
- 136
- 184
104
votes
15 answers
Why are planes generally painted white?
When planes come off the assembly line at the factory, they're green:
So why are most painted white? Surely a darker colour would hide dirt better?
Is there a reason planes are traditionally white?
Here's a clip that shows a Boeing 747 being…
Danny Beckett
- 16,627
- 28
- 98
- 176
101
votes
14 answers
Why are the cockpit controls of airplanes so complicated?
For a layman like myself, the cockpit of every single modern airplane that I've laid my eyes on seems like a complex, intimidating mess with knobs, buttons, screens and levers literally covering every single square centimeter. Every time when seeing…
Speldosa
- 1,515
- 2
- 12
- 12
98
votes
11 answers
Can someone actually "fly under the radar"?
It is quite a common phrase, usually without having anything to do with radar or aviation. But. Is there such a thing as 'flying under the radar'? If so, why is this (and how low is that)?
Řídící
- 2,506
- 3
- 18
- 24