Date: 16 May 2001 17:45:26
From: jthorn@galileo.thp.univie.ac.at (Jonathan Thornburg)
Organization: Universitaet Wien (Vienna, Austria) / Institut fuer Theoretische Physik
References: 1
View raw article
or MIME structure
In article <airliners.2001.159@ditka.Chicago.COM>,
JP Caputa <jcaputa@engr.uvic.ca> wrote:
>WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LOW WINGED AIRCRAFT (if any) AS OPPOSED TO HIGH
>WINGED AIRCRAFT?
+ more ground effect --> shorter takeoff/landing distances and/or
--> higher maximum takeoff gross weights
+ wing-mounted engines lower to the ground --> easier servicing
+ fuel tanks in wings are lower to the ground --> easier refueling
+ wing-mounted landing gear needs shorter struts --> stronger/lighter
Of course, there are drawbacks, too:
- wing-mounted engines may be *too* close to the ground
--> risk of foreign-object damage if unpaved runways are used
(though the 737 was certified for gravel runways)
--> max bank angle on landing ( ==> max crosswind for landing)
might be limited by nacelles hitting the ground instead of
wingtips hitting the ground (dihedral alleviates wintip-hitting)
- more risk of ground servicing vehicles hitting/damaging wings/engines
As the original poster noted, empirically low-wing wins for civilian use.
--
-- Jonathan Thornburg <jthorn@thp.univie.ac.at>
http://www.thp.univie.ac.at/~jthorn/home.html
Universitaet Wien (Vienna, Austria) / Institut fuer Theoretische Physik
Only 6 countries in the world have the death penalty for children:
Congo, Iran, Nigeria, (Pakistan[*]), Saudi Arabia, United States, Yemen
[*] Pakistan reportedly ended it in July 2000. -- Amnesty International
http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/AMR511392000
