Would it be possible for a 747 to do a loop?

Answer 1

no.

the wings are not nearly strong enough. the plane itself is not maneuverable enough--the deflection of the control surfaces is only a few degrees, just enough to change directions in an intercontinental flight. also even though it has four enormous engines, the thrust-weight ratio assures that it wouldnt even be able to attain vertical for very long.

Just about the only way to do it would destroy the plane, but it may be possible by doing the following.

Climb to service cieling (as high as engines can take it)
Dive at a moderate rate, being very careful not to overspeed (which would be easy given the accelerating mass, but if were not concerned about being intact afterwards....)
Pull upwards as hard as possible.

The plane will inevitably stall, but if you're very lucky, the combined speed plus the engine thrust may be enough to pull the plane vertical. It may then be possible to noseover the plane back into a dive.

Not a loop, really. More like a poorly performed and--in all likelihood, unrecoverable--stall.

Answer 2

I think you've already got your question answered with a resounding "no" - but here's my two cent's worth. A 747 or any other jumbo like the MD-11 or 777 is not designed nor certified to do a loop, and its never been done to my knowledge. But if you were a crazy test pilot willing to sacrifice your life, your job, and the plane it might be possible to do one. The plane could bever be flown again due to metal fatigue from the stress.

It all depends if the aircraft is flown in accordance with the flight manual or not. The flight manual on a 747, like all commercial passenger jets, specifically prohibits aerobatic maneuvers.

On April 7, 1994, a Fedex DC-10-30 was hijacked after it departed Memphis. The flight crew didn't actually pull a loop, but they just about did, in order to buy time to fight off the hijacker. The structural limits of the plane were exceeded so it never flew again, but it did manage to land safely.

That is an amazing story - read "Hijacked - The True Story of the Heroes of Flight 705" by David Hirschman, ISBN 0-688-15267-8.

Answer 3

During an introduction fly over in the 1960's Tex. Johnson the test pilot of a 707 bid a barrel roll during a fly by. The Boeing executives were all puckered up, however, a barrel roll is a '1 G' maneuver the airplane never knew it was inverted. (if you were riding inside and could not see out, you would not notice the plane rolling.)

a loop, however, is a different matter. No airliner that I have heard of has been designed for or is capable of a loop.
So, the simple answer is NO, a 747 cannot do a loop and survive.

Yours: Grumpy

Answer 4

Well......
Not structurally sound for that manoeuvre (Wing shape)
Not enough power to weight ratio
Not enough elevator deflection.

Looks like it is against it.
When an aerobatic aircraft does a loop it needs speed and the power.
The 747 would need an incredible amount of speed and then when the elevator is deflected up the aircraft could not pitch up fast enough.
Even if you had enough power and enough deflection the loop diameter would be huge.
Most of the energy accumulated would bleed off in the vertical and since you need a lot of power the pull over it would probably turn into a tailslide.
Also add in the lack of inverted fuel and oil systems and it is a recipe for disaster.
It would be an interesting sight.

Answer 5

No one has ever tried to get fancy with one of the Big Birds, but there once was a Boeing test pilot who, in a moment of frivolity, took it into his head to execute a barrel roll in a 707. He made it, but he didn't exactly endear himself to his superiors. The consensus at Boeing seems to be that a 747 would probably survive a barrel roll, but to try it would be, and I quote, "an extremely foolish action."

The problem is not so much with the strength of the wings, which are designed to stand much greater pressures, as with the skill of the pilot. Enough forward speed must be maintained during the roll to compensate for the loss of lift that occurs when, in effect, the wings cease to function. That happens when the wings are perfectly perpendicular to the ground--in the vertical position, they can no longer hold the plane up. In a small plane, the problem is minimal: the wings spin out of the vertical position in a split second. But in a larger plane that takes longer to roll, the margin for error is increased, and the fatal moment could be stretched out enough to pull the plane down.

Looping a 747 or a DC-10 would be trickier still. (Bear in mind that a "roll" means you flip to the right or left; a "loop" is roughly analogous to a backwards somersault.) You'd have the problem of lift again, at the moment when the tail is down, but it would be harder to overcome, since the plane must be climbing, not merely maintaining its altitude, at the same time. One way to get a plane to climb is to make it go faster (increasing the speed increases the air pressure under the wings, which is what holds the plane up in the first place). But there's some doubt as to whether a 747 or a DC-10 could achieve enough forward speed to deliver the extra shot of lift that a loop would require. Boeing suspects its planes could make it, but since no one has ever been silly enough to try, there's no way of knowing for sure. So it looks like your bet is a draw.

Aticle by By CECIL ADAMS, from his website 'The Straight Dope'.

Answer 6

Yes it could:

Boeing Corporation clearly states a 747-400 can do a loop.

A previous answer left this sentence out. Article Cecil......Take the technical mumbo jumbo (no pun intended!) out and keep it simple. The 747 is perhaps the most overlly well built aircraft to ever fly.

It needs only to achieve the correct (v.high) altitude to start and complete the loop.

I would put this into stone.

Answer 7

As Micheal g said no...it's not quite a smart question...you do know the weight and size of a boeing 747...do you?they didn't made the 747 for performing stunts in the air...it's made for transportation as a commercial airliner

Answer 8

Boy nothing like a question like this to bring out the armchair aerodynamicists..
Yes it could
A properly executed loop pulls about 2-2.5g max. The '47 is more than capable of such loads.
If you were to barrel roll it (what Tex Johnson did with a 707 in early trials) then the 'g' loads are even less.
It would require a significant amount of altitude to pull it off but there's no doubt as to it being able to.
Now..would you catch a lot of **** for doing it....you bet!

Answer 9

MITCHELL.............I was on a 747 that hit a wind sheer ( 1970 ) over the atlantic (chicago-london) we dropped over 19,000 ft in seconds and when we hit stable air it was like we hit the ocean. The overhead compartments broke away and were hanging down...people we floating in the air and crashed down....i got a 2.5 million dollar settlement for a "neck injury "...hahahaha...I have lived in luxury in THAILAND since the settlement.I know this does not answer the question..........i just like to see my stupid answers in type...aaaaarrrghhhhh.....aarrghhhh ..my attorneys did a "loop" when i skipped out of the country without paying them......cool eh??

Answer 10

If you were to take the "SP" model of the 747 and "Gut" it I say you could do it. I would "love" to be on that flight, what a rush that would be *-)

I guess none of these guys ever heard of the 747 SP............. to bad...........cause it was a (Heavy) HOT ROD in the sky with diamonds LOL 8-)