 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I don't know if it's been done before but 😯
It is amazing.
What I can't get my head around is the risk from turbulence.
When they bring these into land there several miles between each aircraft to prevent them getting tossed around the sky by the one preceeding, even when the one following is a similar size.
So imagine how risky it must be to be so close wearing little more than an ironing board.
Want one though!
WT actual F!
1/10 for not grabbing hold of the aircraft or wondering around on the wings
What I can't get my head around is the risk from turbulence.
They're never directly behind the engines, always above or to one side
So imagine how risky it must be to be so close wearing little more than an ironing board.
I suspect there's some camera trickery making it look like they're a lot closer than they are but even so they looked to be hundreds of metres away and generally well off to the sides.
it's the vortices off the wing tips that'll flip you over though, and they look pretty close at times (although perspective probably comes into play here)
I so want a go on one of those
I was just amazed! Like fricking iron man!!
I'm guessing that the plane was flying as neutrally as possible while they were nearby - no flaps, minimal throttle, sort of powered gliding
JohnClimber
I so want a go on one of those
Yup, any mode of transport with a bar on board works for me!
Scaredy, lots of flap down
Awesome. Where do I one from?
The wake turbulence comes from the aircraft not the engines. It's mostly from the wing tip vortices which are small and focussed initially as they tumble off the wing tips, and takes a few miles behind the aircraft to form into much larger areas of turbulence. I seem to remember initially Airbus made a thing about the fact the A380 was intended/designed to produce less wake turbulence, far less than a B747, and they attempted to get reduced separation distance so as not to disadvantage the aircraft at the larger busy airports like Heathrow, but Iim not sure they were ever were able to demonstrated that, I seem to remember the initial tests were disappointing.
The 380 is in the 'super' category for wake turbulence - aircraft behind it on take off and landing need a larger margin than other aircraft (including the jumbo) because of that. Great for the 380, PITA for everyone else!
It certainly wasn't flying 'neutrally', the jetmen would have been going flat out, whilst the 380 has lots of flaps/slats out to enable it to fly slowly
The danger of wake turbulence shouldn't be underestimated, but it's a well known and understood hazard and as long as some simple rules are followed its not a problem - think air to air refuelling, formation flying etc.
Still, cracking bit of film, some crazy dudes out there!
Fantastic isnt it.
Don't think you would be allowed to do that anywhere near a built up area in the UK. They are flying well in respect of the dangers and simply using the spectacle that it is for amazement and not relying on silly stunt manoeuvres and it's all the better for it.
Plenty of flap and leading edge slats going on there for the A380. It is amazing to see them flying slow in person, something that big just shouldnt be able to travel that slowly though the air.
something that big just shouldnt be able to travel that slowly though the air.
I remember going to Farnborough Air Show and seeing a 747 get thrown around in the air like a fighter - I guess with little fuel and no people or baggage they're just lightweight metal tubes with massive amounts of power but I was amazed at how manuverable it was
they're just lightweight metal tubes with massive amounts of power but I was amazed at how manuverable it was
The wing on the A380 is pretty big to cater for the two stretch versions that Airbus had planned. Unfortunately they have not materialised due to lack of demand, so the wing for the current A380 is much larger than it needs to be. See what they can do with it at the big airshows like Farnborough, it's pretty impressive. Bags of power and bags of lift.
They've done one stretch version - although it belongs to them.
Those wings have to get from Filton to France somehow!
I think the 380 wings are built at Hawarden, then barged to Mostyn docks before getting on a proper ship to France.
The main reason you can fling it around at Farnborough is because it's not got 50 tonnes of passengers and bags and 150 odd tonnes of fuel on board.
Its Dubai init...the wingmen are probably force labour on 3 quid.
I reckon they killed about 15 blokes filming that.
Bristol Filton Trek - or they were certainly until the launch.
Did a lot of training for the safety guys there as the fuel tanks only have one way in/out and after they almost lost one worker where they had to write a complete wing off getting him out they changed a few things.