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1500 questions
33
votes
4 answers
Why was the skid landing gear located so far aft on the X-15?
The X-15 famously used a pair of steel skids as the main landing gear rather than conventional wheels, which saved weight, allowed the skids to be mounted externally (where wheels and tires would have been destroyed) so they didn't take up internal…
CameronSS
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33
votes
3 answers
Is there any airspace where you can fly without a flight plan?
Can pilots go "offroading"? In other words, is there an airspace where you don't need a flight plan? Or maybe just a flight plan to go there and then "joyride?"
Marc M
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33
votes
5 answers
What happened during this foggy landing?
Several years ago, I was flying from the USA to Buenos Aires. That's a very long flight, and it was overnight for us. When I woke up it was early in the morning and we were over Argentina. I don't remember exactly what the plane was, but it was a…
Mason Wheeler
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33
votes
1 answer
What is the operating altitude of jetliners?
I am performing a science project, and this involves knowing the average operating altitude at which commercial passenger airplanes (jetliners) fly.
I am trying to find minimum operating altitudes and maximum operating altitudes of commercial…
inquiries
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33
votes
4 answers
Why do passenger embark on the left side of an aircraft?
I speak of passenger aircraft that can be found on large airports.
The left side is used by passengers (and the crew) to embark/disembark (see the position of jet bridges) and the other side to embark/disembark the rest (e.g. food).
Why do we always…
Manu H
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33
votes
6 answers
If a typical passenger plane had total failure of all engines mid-flight, is it possible for passengers to survive?
I have pretty bad flying phobia and often wonder what would happen if all the engines on the craft went out at the same time. I initially had the anxiety-ridden thought that the hundreds of thousands of pounds of metal would nose-dive and explode…
user3745
33
votes
1 answer
What is the make and model of this biplane?
This photo is of one of my friend's great grandfather:
We wish to commemorate a museum in his name as he was a highly regarded person in his area, so we wish to show this photo in the museum with details of the plane.
Preet
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33
votes
9 answers
Why are dirt and bugs on an aircraft so bad?
It's noted in many POHs to keep your aircraft clean all the time, but is there a reason to this? Dirt hardly add any sort of weight to the aircraft, bugs are extremely small and other things such as cars easily move even when dirty as a mud pig. …
Qantas 94 Heavy
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33
votes
1 answer
From this cockpit picture I cannot identify this aircraft. Any ideas?
It seems a kind of hybrid for testing. The overhead panel looks similar to BAe 146, Any ideas?
O'Terror
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33
votes
3 answers
Would a random passenger be allowed to fix a problem with a commercial aircraft?
I just read an article about a man (who is alledgedly an airplane mechanic) who was a passenger on an airplane that had some mechanical issues. Because there were no 'local' mechanics around, he decided to take matters into his own hands and fix the…
Thousand
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33
votes
4 answers
Where's the A318 on the runway that caused a 747 to go around?
I screenshot 1:00 of a 480p YouTube video. The autopilot proclaims Minimums at 1:01, and the pilot flying decides to go around at 1:02 because an A318 was still on the runway, but I can't spot it, or any airplane, on the runway in the video! Can…
user128
33
votes
3 answers
What are the typical facets of ownership costs, for a single engine aircraft?
It's easy to go online and look at prices of a Cessna 172, but what are some examples of how to break down the real world costs of ownership?
How much other maintenance should you plan for?
How much does an engine overhaul…
kevin42
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33
votes
2 answers
What is this large engine doing on a B52?
In this YouTube video, discussing plans to use the 747 as an aircraft carrier, there is a brief sequence starting at 4 min 14 s, showing images of a B52:
What is the explanation for the very different inboard engine pod on the starboard wing?…
Michael MacAskill
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33
votes
5 answers
Why Didn't the USSR Build An X-15?
In the history of aerospace engineering in the United States, the X-15 is lauded as a critical and necessary step on the path to manned spaceflight. Throttle-able chemical rocket propulsion systems, reaction controls, and pressurized flight suits…
Bryson S.
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33
votes
4 answers
Why do military jets sometimes have elevators in a depressed position when parked?
Why do they have elevators in such a position as if the joystick is pushed forward, even though there's nobody inside the cockpit?
stackzebra
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