Now plug in the numbers: Minimum weight for a 747–400 is 254,500 kg , and the same source gives the stall speed in landing configuration at 280 tons with 138 knots or 71 m/s. Now correct for the minimum mass and the higher density, and the result is 118 knots or 60.72 m/s. This is as low as it gets, but no longer safe.
What is the slowest a commercial plane can fly?
Technically this is the so-called ‘stall speed’, where air passes over the wings fast enough to sustain altitude, and for small planes this can be less than 50km/h (31mph). But at such low speeds, the aircraft is easily destabilised, and could fail to leave the runway.
Can a 747 fly supersonic?
No. The Boeing 747 was not designed for supersonic flight, though during testing, it was pushed quite close to the sonic speed: Tom Cole, a spokesman at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co., said original flight tests of 747s conducted in 1969 and 1970 took 747-100 models to speeds of Mach 0.99.
How long can a 747 fly without refueling?
A modern Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when it’s flying at 900 kmh (550 mph). This means it can fly non stop for almost 16 hours!
Can a 747 fly upside down?
The answer is yes for a “little” bit! Unlike military fighters, commercial planes do not have the engine power for sustained inverted flight and rely on lift from the wings. … Commercial airliners are only tested and certified for upright flight.” However, one Boeing aircraft has flown upside down – twice!
What is the smallest plane in the world?
The Starr Bumble Bee was an experimental aircraft designed and built specifically to acquire the title of “The World’s Smallest Airplane”.
…
Starr Bumble Bee II.
| Bumble Bee II | |
|---|---|
| First flight | January 28, 1984 |
| Status | Museum Collection |
| Number built | 1 |
Why do commercial airliners fly at 35000 feet?
The “sweet spot” of flying is regarded as between 35,000 and 42,000 feet – too high and the oxygen becomes too sparse to fuel the engines, too low and the air resistance is greater. This optimum height is linked to the usual weight of a commercial jet – that is, heavier planes fly lower, and lighter higher.
Did the 747 break the sound barrier?
As it shot across the Atlantic, the Boeing 747-400 jet reached a top ground speed of 825 mph. However, the jet did not actually break the sound barrier, because that is measured by its airspeed, or the speed of the plane relative to the air through which it is traveling.
Why does a rocket not have a sonic boom?
4 Answers. Definition of terms: A shock wave by itself is not a “sonic boom”. … A sonic boom is heard by observers when the shock wave(s) produced by an object moving at supersonic speed passes by them. This is unlikely to happen with a rocket launch since the vehicle is at high altitude and moving away.
What is the cruise speed of a 747?
The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body (two-aisle) airliner with four wing-mounted engines. Its wings have a high sweep angle of 37.5 degrees for a fast, efficient cruise speed of Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant.
Why do planes do not fly over the Pacific?
The primary reason airplanes don’t fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn’t flat. Rather, it’s spherical. As a result, straight routes don’t offer the shortest distance between two locations.
Can a Boeing 777 fly on one engine?
The Boeing 777-200
Like most two-engine airplanes, it is designed to safely fly on only one engine in an emergency situation.
How many hours can a 777 fly without refueling?
The longest that a commercial airplane has flown without refueling is a little over 23 hours. This was achieved by a Boeing 777-200 LR that flew between Hong Kong and London, covering a distance of almost 20,000 km.
What is the oldest plane still flying?
Airworthy aircraft
14 – Bleriot XI airworthy at the Shuttleworth Collection in Old Warden, Bedfordshire. Built in 1909 and now with the British civil registration G-AANG, this is the world’s oldest airworthy aircraft.
Is Boeing 777 bigger than 747?
Boeing themselves has touted the 777x as the new replacement aircraft for the aging 747.
…
Boeing 777x vs Boeing 747.
| Boeing 777x-9 | Boeing 747-8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 251 ft 9 in (76.7 m) | 250 ft 2 in / 76.3 m |
| Wingspan | 235 ft 5 in (71.8 m), 212 ft 9 in (64.8 m) folded | 224 ft 7 in / 68.4 m |
Are planes with 4 engines safer?
Whilst four engines was traditionally seen as safer, this is not necessarily the case. Jet aircraft have proved very reliable – with very few cases of dual engine failure. … In some ways, two engines are also safer! The possibility of a single engine failure is of course higher when you have four engines rather than two.