747 Enterprise question

For the longest flight, or the shortest one?

 

If we're not counting flights in actual planes, I can highside like a professional.

 

Shortest.

Long story short, in '85 or so I volunteered to "pilot" a tethered hot air balloon at an air show. It was tied down to my Mom's VW rabbit, and a F-150 with a max elevation of about 100'. I took it up, a gust caught the balloon, and it started dragging my Mom's VW across an active runway. I was radioed to bring it down and I did it way too quickly. Hit the dirt at about 40mph or so. Bag spills across another runway, gets all torn up snagging on the runway lights.

Luckily, I was fine. The basket and balloon were f*cked. Elapsed time? Appx. 3 minutes.

Still, a fun memory. Crazy shit you do when you still think you're invulnerable..

-jim

 

Most folks doing that are on business trips that their companies pay for.

That's because Delta sucks.

Next time you roll Int'l out of IAD pm me and I will see if I can help your upgrade situation.

 

I'm there A LOT.

 

Tell me about it. Everyone else brags about their beds. Delta has seats that recline into an almost-bed--one some flights--but still lean, so you feel like you might slide off the end. Still, I'm not connecting through Miami or DFW with American, and United really doesn't want any part of the southeast.

Ooooohhhh...but you don't work for Delta, do you?

 

If it was a JAL flight, packed is not right term. They take a full size 747 remove all the first and business class seats and put in economy seats throughout. Then they move ALL the seats closer, to fit "Japanese size" people. They'll pack over 550 passengers on the plane.

Singapore Airlines has a non-stop from Newark to Singapore, I think it's 23 hours, on a modified Airbus A380. All seats are business class, full reclining, $7300 a seat.

 

Japanese carriers have asked Boeing "Can you put seats in the cargo area? How about making the landing gear fixed and using that area for seats?" However, there is a cool option on the table for a cargo located galley on a certain model. I'll leave it at that since I kind of was sworn to secrecy. If I can find a published article I'll post a link.

 

What's the purpose of the sawtooth design on the output side of the fan bypass and jet of the GEnx and other newer jet engines? Noise abatement? Some time of thrust enhancer?

 

OT

The B-52 is unreal, almost 100 year service life possible....The boneyard in Tucson was enlightening, yes there are still some spares for planes like the A-10, but amazing how old the engineering is.

 

Actually JAL started revenue service this week.

 

Yep, the triangles are for acoustics.

 

Who, in their right mind, would want to get off the plane in Lagos?


I don't care if the Minister for Financial Affairs hisself was going to present me with my check, he's coming onto the plane . . . I ain't getting off of it.

 

Radial?

 

I'm not that familiar with civilian aircraft but a turbojet is something like what would be in a fighter or an old passenger plane such as a dc-9-8 0r a 727-707?I think most dc9's and md80's have a version of a j57 like the b52 or the f105?I guess without re heat or afterburner.

 

There were rotary aircraft engines, but they were not the wankels we generally associate with that name. They look very like a radial, but the crankshaft is fixed to the firewall / engine mount structure, and the whole assembly of crankcase and cylinders rotates around it, with prop attached.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_engine

I couldn't begin to guess which is superior in the leaking stakes.

 

First commercial 747-8i delivered yesterday, to Lufthansa.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/airlinere...of-their-first-boeing-747-8-intercontinental/
http://australianaviation.com.au/2012/04/first-lufthansa-747-8i-delivered/

I don't see JAL on the immediate delivery schedule and don't know if they are even interested in the 8i.

 

You are correct. I had it mixed up with the 787.

 

Gotcha. Just happened to see it on the news and reminded me of this. We still don't know who got the first 8i (VIP BBJ), but I haven't really dug on that one too much. Anyone who buys their own 747 personal jet deserves whatever secrecy they purchased.

 

Yeah, I am an engine guy. Sometimes I get the airframes mixed up. On those two planes it is the same core engine, they just have a different fan.

Judging by the people with enough money and desire to buy one, I would say it either stayed in the pacific NW, went to England, or somewhere in the middle east.