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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 2 of 2)
DC May 26th 2012 1:07AM
I live about 40 miles east of Los Angeles and the wind was blowing pretty hard today, but I've never see a plane that size lift off the ground. Wow
marc May 26th 2012 1:44AM
While station in the Philippines and just after Mt. Pinotubo erupted, a Hawaiian Airlines DC9 had so much ash on top of it that it caused the nose to lift, and the tail was resting on the ground. It was several days before it was cleaned off. I heard the pilot was super pissed we couldn't get to it fast enough. I guess he didn't realize the extent of the disaster that just occured. His commercial aircraft was not on our top 10 concerns list.
serratobrian May 26th 2012 2:12AM
Under the correct conditions Most airliners will try and "nose into the wind", like a big weather vane.http://bit.ly/KT6J55
Terry May 26th 2012 5:09AM
As you can notice. No engines on the plane.
wox May 26th 2012 3:54AM
The nose isn't lifting because of the wings generating lift, it is lifting because the horizontal stabilizers and elevators are pushing down on the tail. The airplane is already tail heavy because the engines have been removed which moves the center of gravity aft. When the nose lifts some lifting force is applied to the underside of the wings but since the aircraft has no forward motion, when it lifts, the wings blank out the wind over the tail and the nose comes back down.
hwyman May 26th 2012 5:11AM
Sad, it wants to fly one last time
tnrebel3231 May 26th 2012 6:28AM
If you'll notice, the stabilizer on the far right of the screen on another plane is moving in the same manner.
momt May 27th 2012 5:38PM
Let me be free! I am not dead yet. I may be old and need a running start.
Ron Palmer May 26th 2012 8:22AM
Ghost transmission for cockpit..."I vont to fly again". I also noticed that the engines have been removed so this made it lighter.
john May 26th 2012 9:44AM
If you go to Mojavi or Barstow, can you see these planes from a viewpoint?
Zake May 26th 2012 10:31AM
I think this plane is tail-heavy and the wind is just blowing the nose up. The plane is not "lifting" off the ground. I don't think 70 mph winds would create enough lift to get it airborn.
Rumee Haque May 26th 2012 11:39AM
All four of its heavy engines have been removed, as well as other heavy parts too (as the report says).... that made it possible. The ot
her B-747 isn't moving. I think its trying to say, its not ready to retire yet! :)))
my7lbbass May 26th 2012 1:51PM
If you didn't notice, there are no engines on the wings. Four engines takes a lot of weight off. Not counting anything else they took off it.
treethebap May 26th 2012 4:44PM
Exactly. With the engines (and whatever other equipment) removed, the nose will be lighter. You can't see if the elevator is in the up position, possibly adding to the down-force on the tail, but the rudder is deflected left, certainly adding force on the rear. The vertical stabilizer is counter-acting the rudder and straightening it back up. The jet behind the moving 747 looks like it's doing the same thing, just not as severe.
stuart May 28th 2012 1:23PM
I remembered that I read news that many years ago in Waterloo airport the Ozark Airlines DC-9 was empty passenger and one of the mechanic was inside DC-9 while check up repair during storm weather. It was unexpected that tornado touchdown near airport and it wind blew the DC-9 already lifted up up to 10 feet and a little bit move back down. There is no damage to the DC-9. A mechanic guy was fine. LOL!!