Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Watch Desert Winds Pick Up And Move This Boeing 747
It's interesting seeing the fluid dynamics of modern flight turned backwards on a stationary aircraft. Normally during takeoff, an airplane flies into the wind to create as much air movement as possible over the wings. It's a mixture of the Bernoulli effect and a variety of other physical principles, but the end result is lift as a function of air speed.
And if the aircraft isn't moving? Technically you can still get lift with enough air speed. Youtube user CaptainHarlock999 captured an amazing video this week in an aircraft boneyard outside of Los Angeles. With winds at the scrapyard reaching over 70MPH, enough lift was actually generated by a 747's wings to actually pick the fuselage up off of the ground, bouncing the plane around as the back wheels stayed in place.
The Southern Air 747 in question was actually scheduled to be scrapped, so the engines and much of the interior were stripped off of the airframe. Because of that reduced weight the aircraft was able to lift off the ground -- so don't worry, it won't happen to you on your next trip!
[via Steven Frischling]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Angel May 25th 2012 9:39PM
Anyone know where exactly this is and if its acces. by the public?
curragh May 25th 2012 10:55PM
Mojave, CA. No
Steve May 26th 2012 2:03AM
This is not all that uncommond. Under the correct conditions Most airliners will try and "nose into the wind", like a big weather vane. If you look under the inborad end of the wing you will see that the flaps, that are used to increase the wings lifting abiity, are in the down posistion. If the wind had changed direction that plane would have moved too.
Strontium90 May 25th 2012 10:37PM
Now that is really cool. Looks like the plane is at the precise moment of rotation. Those trucks on the rear will need a lot more thrust to get them off the ground but with the reduced weight and the moment of balance moved around this does look neat.
jon May 26th 2012 10:02AM
Actually Steve, you are thinking of JunkYard or Scrap Yard. Planes have always used Bone Yards as their final resting place.
Steve May 26th 2012 9:05AM
The correct term is "Storage Facility".....Boneyards are for cars and trucks
Larry May 26th 2012 4:03AM
The actuall correct name is AMARC.
john May 26th 2012 7:47AM
Sorry Streve,, Aircraft have used the term Bone Yard many ,many years.
ass May 25th 2012 10:39PM
cool!!!!!
wes May 25th 2012 11:11PM
It is on the mohavi desert ---Mohavi Calif
john switzer May 25th 2012 11:20PM
Imagine if you were inside the aircraft when it did that. Cool
stu May 26th 2012 8:40PM
its strip thats why no engines
Denis May 25th 2012 11:31PM
Notice the former owner, Southern air AKA the CIA.
AC May 25th 2012 11:50PM
This is probably near Barstow, CA... its the same "bone yard" where the UAL jets were recently repainted with the new coat of white and log change afer CO merger.
John Duck May 25th 2012 11:52PM
It wants to fly!
otac May 26th 2012 7:42AM
"It wants to fly!"
Yep, "I still got it!"
Cliff Harris May 26th 2012 12:28AM
Many years ago I saw a picture in the newspaper of a small plane that was "flying" about a foot off the ground, held in place by its tie-down cables. This was during one of the "Santa Ana" wind conditions we get from time to time in Southern California.
al pambuena May 26th 2012 11:38AM
thats all planes are...a hollow metal tube, with a few wings attached.
martin walsh May 26th 2012 9:01PM
This is why we love flying 747s and why they are so safe you could blow a fart under them and they take off , no joking we love 747s the greatest aircraft ever designed and the best aircraft to fly in .
martin walsh May 26th 2012 12:44AM
this is why we fly on 747s .