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Explore the fascinating workings of a Boeing 747, from its enormous wings to powerful turbofan engines. Learn about lift, forces, and essential airplane parts, all crucial in keeping this giant aircraft in the sky! Discover the science and engineering behind one of the most iconic planes in aviation history.
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How Airplanes Work by Daniel Anderson
747 Facts • Length: 232 feet • Height: 63 feet • Wingspan: 211 feet • Wing area: 5,650 square feet • Max. takeoff weight: 870,000 pounds • Max. landing weight: 630,000 pounds (explains why planes may need to dump fuel for emergency landings) • Engines: four turbofan engines, 57,000 pounds of thrust each • Fuel capacity: up to 57,000 gallons • Max. range: 7,200 nautical miles • Cruising speed: 490 knots • Takeoff distance: 10,500 feet
Wings & Lift • Wings are shaped as an airfoil to provide upward lift for the plane. • Faster moving fluid has lower pressure than slower fluid. • Lift is produced when the air underneath the wing pushes harder than the air above the wing.
Airfoils Stunt Planes Shallow angle of attack Supersonic Fighters Steep angle of attack
Airplane Parts that Keep the Plane in the Air • The tail wings are also commonly known as vertical and horizontal stabilizers. • The tail assembly is also called the empennage. • The rudder and elevators, on the tail wings, steer the plane side to side or up and down. • The spoilers and ailerons have similar functions: to help keep the plane steady and to steer the plane from side to side.
References • http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aerojava/flight10.htm • http://lidrock.howstuffworks.com/airplane.htm • http://www1.excite.com/home/info/learn2/tutorials_qa_overview/0,14899,travel_742_0,00.html