747 Tries to escape Graveyard - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Aquaticedge · #1 05-31-2012, 12:17 AM

Extreme wind conditions cause this 747 to lift in its place. [VIDEO]

t walgamuth · #2 05-31-2012, 06:17 AM

So I take it the plane is tethered down. Also it must have its flaps in different positions than the other planes causing the lift.

Aquaticedge · #3 05-31-2012, 07:03 AM

Plane from what I've read was unteathered, the parking brake was set, but the reason it bucked up was the engines were gone from the wings, so there was not a lot of weight there, I guess it's in the process of being scrapped

Air&Road · #4 05-31-2012, 07:33 AM

What is curious is that you don't see the weeds leaned over in the wind, or any debris flying by. I realize that the absence of the engines is decreasing the stall speed considerably, but it still is almost suspicious.

I wonder what the stall speed of a 747 is, 140MPH? Even if the absence of engines cut the stall speed in half, you would think there would be other indications of a 70MPH wind.

dynalow · #5 05-31-2012, 08:28 AM

Viewed full screen, you can clearly see the cut up sections of a fuselage and other pieces rolling in the background too. Without the weight of the engines, and the nose not secured, it seems elementary that lift would occur.
I wonder how they do things at Davis-Monthan when they need to strip parts & engines form their a/c?

catmandoo62 · #6 05-31-2012, 08:33 AM

at about 56 seconds you can see a dust cloud zip by.

SwampYankee · #7 05-31-2012, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

What is curious is that you don't see the weeds leaned over in the wind, or any debris flying by. I realize that the absence of the engines is decreasing the stall speed considerably, but it still is almost suspicious.

I wonder what the stall speed of a 747 is, 140MPH? Even if the absence of engines cut the stall speed in half, you would think there would be other indications of a 70MPH wind.

I can see movement in the grasses, some dust clouds and every now and then some stuff blows across the pavement.

Time to clean some dust off that monitor, Larry.

Air&Road · #8 05-31-2012, 08:48 AM

Okay that explains it. I did not view it full screen and I'm viewing it on my laptop with my wore out old eyes. The fact that you guys saw other clear indications of wind lends much more credibility.

If we knew exactly where, the date and time, we could find out how much wind there was that day.

BTW, aquatic', thanks for posting it. I found it interesting.

SwampYankee · #9 05-31-2012, 08:50 AM

Poor thing, it's trying so hard. Got to be like a bird trying to fly after having its wings clipped.

Brian Carlton · #10 05-31-2012, 10:53 AM

Without engines, the CG of the aircraft moves aft to a significant degree and, apparently, is just slightly forward of the main gear.

It wouldn't take much lift to bring the nose off the ground as was evidenced in the video.

Whether the wings would generate any lift at 70 kts. is the real question.

Typically, such an aircraft would never generate any lift until it rotates and it needs 120 kts. for sufficient downforce on the tail to effect rotation.

So, I'm a bit skeptical of the result.

t walgamuth · #11 05-31-2012, 10:59 AM

of what result?

Air&Road · #12 05-31-2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Without engines, the CG of the aircraft moves aft to a significant degree and, apparently, is just slightly forward of the main gear.

It wouldn't take much lift to bring the nose off the ground as was evidenced in the video.

Whether the wings would generate any lift at 70 kts. is the real question.

Typically, such an aircraft would never generate any lift until it rotates and it needs 120 kts. for sufficient downforce on the tail to effect rotation.

So, I'm a bit skeptical of the result.

I'm also skeptical, but if the plane is as stripped down as some folks indicate, the wing loading would be so light, it wouldn't take a whole lot of wind.

Can't Know · #13 05-31-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

This 747 is sitting in a boneyard in Mojave, CA waiting to be dismantled and recycled at the end of its useful life. On May 23rd, 2012 the area experienced extreme winds of 70+ miles per hour and reports of gusts up to 100 near the pass due to a low pressure zone. Without the weight of its engines and with its landing flaps deployed, the slightly tail heavy 747 tries to take to the skies one last time. The next day the plane was found to have also rotated about 45 degrees from its original position. The same wind storm damaged many rooftops, cut power and sent huge clouds of sand and dust billowing into the sky. Mojave will occasionally experience this type of wind storm due to geography.

Source

DeliveryValve · #14 05-31-2012, 12:16 PM

If you look closely of a 747 in the background of the two the planes, you will see it is actually lifting also. But not as much as the one in the foreground.

Thanks Aquaticedge for posting this video.

.

tbomachines · #15 05-31-2012, 12:30 PM

Neat! Looks like the rear tail wings (I don't know the term) are in the lift position, pushing down on the tail and using the wheels as the fulcrum, and of course the wings giving lift helps too.

Too bad it's been done already
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcLJ49MGe-s