How do planes stay up??

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'Shabba'

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Sniffing glue........again!
Right, i drive to work under the flight path for Manchester airport so i see planes flying in everyday, but this morning there was this one which was really low, it looked massive, and it wasn't moving, it was just hovering, i mean it may have been moving a bit but it didn't look like it was enough to keep it in mid air!!!:|

I thought planes could fly because of the thrust, but maybe not eh!!

How the hell do they stay up there!!:crazy:
 
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Str33tb0y

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Basically a plane can stay in the air at relatively low speed using plenty of 'Flaps' haha there i said it.....Thats the bits on the wings that go up and down.

Also when something is in the air, its very difficult to judge its real speed specially when its a big jumbo,
 
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'Shabba'

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Sniffing glue........again!
Str33tb0y said:
Basically a plane can stay in the air at relatively low speed using plenty of 'Flaps' haha there i said it.....Thats the bits on the wings that go up and down.

Also when something is in the air, its very difficult to judge its real speed specially when its a big jumbo,
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'Flaps' (he he:D ) doesn't explain it though, how can flaps keep something that big and weighing that much suspended in the air, i know the plane was probably moving at some speed but i swear it was so low and couldn't have been moving very fast at all, i've never seen a plane and been so struck with how the fuck is that doing that before in my life!!! It was amazing, i wish i'd pulled over and taken a pic really:(

Shooms said:
Coz you've read it in a book ? :thumbsup:
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I could write the book!!! (Not on aviation admittedly!!!):D
 
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Danny C

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'Shabba' said:
Right, i drive to work under the flight path for Manchester airport so i see planes flying in everyday, but this morning there was this one which was really low, it looked massive, and it wasn't moving, it was just hovering, i mean it may have been moving a bit but it didn't look like it was enough to keep it in mid air!!!:|

I thought planes could fly because of the thrust, but maybe not eh!!

How the hell do they stay up there!!:crazy:
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Where you by chance stuck in traffic this morning dear?!

Planes don't hover though unless they are fitted with VTOL (vertical take off landing ie: Harriers). :|
 
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Str33tb0y

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'Shabba' said:
'Flaps' (he he:D ) doesn't explain it though, how can flaps keep something that big and weighing that much suspended in the air, i know the plane was probably moving at some speed but i swear it was so low and couldn't have been moving very fast at all, i've never seen a plane and been so struck with how the fuck is that doing that before in my life!!! It was amazing, i wish i'd pulled over and taken a pic really:(



I could write the book!!! (Not on aviation admittedly!!!):D
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lol i know wot u mean.

I think as it so dam windy today, specially a few hundred feet up or higher, that the force of the wind combined with the correct postioning of the airlerons (spelling) meaning flaps...haha i said it again.! can pretty much keep a plane in the air but with very little forward speed.

They do this to save fuel etc.

I work rite next to heathrow (and I work for a company that supplies aviation fuel) and you wouldnt beleive the difference in the take off angles by the different carriers. Virgin always have a very shallow level of ascent to save on fuel...where as BA planes take off and climb much more quickly as they are not so bothered about saving fuel.

i'll shut up now cos im getting boring lol
 
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'Shabba'

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Sniffing glue........again!
Str33tb0y said:
lol i know wot u mean.

I think as it so dam windy today, specially a few hundred feet up or higher, that the force of the wind combined with the correct postioning of the airlerons (spelling) meaning flaps...haha i said it again.! can pretty much keep a plane in the air but with very little forward speed.

They do this to save fuel etc.

I work rite next to heathrow (and I work for a company that supplies aviation fuel) and you wouldnt beleive the difference in the take off angles by the different carriers. Virgin always have a very shallow level of ascent to save on fuel...where as BA planes take off and climb much more quickly as they are not so bothered about saving fuel.

i'll shut up now cos im getting boring lol
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No, i find that really interesting actually!!!
 
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ilovepiano

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Jul 9, 2002
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'Shabba' said:
How the hell do they stay up there!!:crazy:
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It's all about the shape of the wings. The result is that the air flows faster over the top of the wing than it does underneath it. So there's more pressure under the wing than there is above it, which creates lift. :thumbsup:
 
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Str33tb0y

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'Shabba' said:
No, i find that really interesting actually!!!
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the wind has a fundamental impact on the way airports operate.

They change the direction the planes come into land or take off. again for safety and to save fuel by using the wind to keep the plane in the air with as little thrust as possible....oh i said thrust :eek:
 


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