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Hi all! I'm not a pilot in training or enthusiast, but got a few questions I'm hoping you can help with here:
1. Is the E190 a modern aircraft and is it comparable to the A320 or B737 comfortwise?
2. In terms of the physics, doe E190/A320/B737 fly "easier" than large cross atlantic aircraft?
3. How come on takeoff, as soon as the plane lifts off the runway it feels like it's going slow and almost weightless? What I mean is that the taking off stops feeling powerful once it's off the runway. Furthermore, on take off the plane seems to dip rise, dip a little, rise, etc during ascent. I'm sure there's an aeronautic reason for that--is it some sort of weird mental illusion?
4. Relative to size, is a plane lighter or heavier than a SUV or cruise ship?
5. For passenger comfort in economy, and flight performance for a casual traveler, are the differences between an A330, A340, B747 and B777 negligible?
6. How come aircraft are so old? Many planes came out in the 1980s or 1990s (as far as I know). How is it possible that the planes are still in working condition and technologically ok in 2014?
Hi all! I'm not a pilot in training or enthusiast, but got a few questions I'm hoping you can help with here:
1. Is the E190 a modern aircraft and is it comparable to the A320 or B737 comfortwise? Comfort can be defined differently by different people. Generally, larger planes are more comfortable because they provide more room, but a lot depends on the seats and airlines use different seats even on the same series of aircraft. Also, First Class is obviously more comfortable than Economy. So...many factors.
2. In terms of the physics, doe E190/A320/B737 fly "easier" than large cross atlantic aircraft? Depends on what you mean by "easy". Generally, the smaller the plane, the more maneuverable (nimble) it is since you have less momentum than a larger aircraft. A larger plane is more stable in turbulence.
3. How come on takeoff, as soon as the plane lifts off the runway it feels like it's going slow and almost weightless? What I mean is that the taking off stops feeling powerful once it's off the runway. Furthermore, on take off the plane seems to dip rise, dip a little, rise, etc during ascent. I'm sure there's an aeronautic reason for that--is it some sort of weird mental illusion? Could possibly be due to your height from the ground is increasing so you have a diminishing reference for determining speed. Could also be because you no longer have the vibration from the wheels rolling down the runway. The plane dips and rises due to turbulence or the pilot being a little heavy handed on the controls.
4. Relative to size, is a plane lighter or heavier than a SUV or cruise ship? Generally lighter since planes are made out of aluminum which is lighter than steel, which is what cars and ships are made of.
5. For passenger comfort in economy, and flight performance for a casual traveler, are the differences between an A330, A340, B747 and B777 negligible?I'd say they are pretty comparable in Economy.
6. How come aircraft are so old? Many planes came out in the 1980s or 1990s (as far as I know). How is it possible that the planes are still in working condition and technologically ok in 2014? They are maintained meticulously. Parts are frequently replaced. About the only thing that is original is the skin, which does not rust like cars so it lasts a long time.
Hi all! I'm not a pilot in training or enthusiast, but got a few questions I'm hoping you can help with here:
1. Is the E190 a modern aircraft and is it comparable to the A320 or B737 comfortwise? Yes, it is actually newer than the majority of 737s and A320s, just a little smaller. But comfort wise is is pretty good with only two seats per aisle instead of three as in the 737 and A320
2. In terms of the physics, doe E190/A320/B737 fly "easier" than large cross atlantic aircraft? All airplanes fly the same way and all airplanes want to fly, confused by this question. The rules of physics don't change, the airplanes are made to fly.
3. How come on takeoff, as soon as the plane lifts off the runway it feels like it's going slow and almost weightless? What I mean is that the taking off stops feeling powerful once it's off the runway. Furthermore, on take off the plane seems to dip rise, dip a little, rise, etc during ascent. I'm sure there's an aeronautic reason for that--is it some sort of weird mental illusion? The plane is going relatively slow compared to its normal speeds but landing is just as slow if now slower, you feel weightless because you have negative G forced on takeoff like a roller coaster ride, takeoff is also done under manual control so the plane might not be as stable as when on autopilot, also turbulence and wind is more noticeable at lower speeds and lower altitudes. Also a few moments after takeoff when the gear comes up and the flaps are retracted the engines don't need to work as hard and the engines are put into climb power which is less power than takeoff, which is why you hear the engines spool down and sound lower. Another thing is there can be altitude restrictions in busy areas, planes can't always go straight to their cruise altitude.
4. Relative to size, is a plane lighter or heavier than a SUV or cruise ship? Planes I guess would be lighter but large planes still weight hundreds of thousands of pounds empty
5. For passenger comfort in economy, and flight performance for a casual traveler, are the differences between an A330, A340, B747 and B777 negligible? For the common passenger, yes. It depends MUCH more on the airline than the airplane
6. How come aircraft are so old? Many planes came out in the 1980s or 1990s (as far as I know). How is it possible that the planes are still in working condition and technologically ok in 2014? Maintenance is unbelievable what they do to these planes. Google "Airplane D Check" Delta only recently retired planes which were made in the early 1970s, there are still planes from the 70s flying around the world, especially with cargo airlines but now planes from the 80s are starting to be considered old and are starting to be phased out. Also remember that there are 767s which were built in the early 80s and some built in the 2000s with very little differences in appearance. There are even planes from the 30s and 40s flying around the world. Just like a car from the 40s can be kept going so can an airplane. It is all about economics for the airlines, If a plane from the 1980s makes money the airline does not want nor need to get rid of it as long as it is maintained well. Besides each 737 cost over 70 million dollars. An airline or the company they lease them from are not going to only use the planes for 10 years and get rid of them. This is not a car. And technology can be improved. Just like you can put a CD player in an 1992 Honda an airline can update the whole interior of an airplane along with the whole cockpit. And most do.
Except Air France, mechanically they may be tip-top, but they don't wash them...
Just like the French themselves.
Seriously. A new plane can be 100s of millions of dollars. They're not a throw away item. That is why companies keep them flying as long as possible. As long as the air frame remains structurally sound there is no reason a plane cannot remain in services from 70 years. Look at Buffalo Air. They still fly DC-3 and DC-4 from before the war.
Biggest issue among laypeople is comparing airplanes to cars, age wise. Other than both being modes of transportation, the two have very little in common.
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