When an aircraft like a B747 speeding up to take off or taxiing to their gate,does it need 2 rely on its engin

Question

I want to know when an aircraft like a B747 or any other commercial aircraft driving around the airport or speeding up to take off, does it rely on its engine to push it or it has power in its front wheel to push it.

Also I knew that aircraft cannot go backward and it depend on that little car to push back, just want to know, how commercial aircraft get its power to drive around the airport

Answer 1

Yes, it relies on its engines. There is no power to the wheels of any kind -- though they do have brakes. That's also why you see a little "push truck" hook up to the plane and push it back when it's parked at a gate -- the engines don't run backwards :)

Answer 2

Aircraft do not rely on their front wheels (or any wheel assembly) to taxi around airports or airfileds. The Nose Wheel Steering is engage when an aircraft is on the ground taxiing around. Engine power is used when taxiing. Not all aircraft have reverse thrusters and due to noise abatement, vibration, ground support equipment and personnel on an airport. Reverse thrusters are not being used for safety reasons. When a plane reaches a taxiway and is clear from other planes, equipment and personnel. That is when most of the engines are fired up, revved up. When it is the plane's turn to take off, all available engines are online, all checks were done, then the hammer is dropped and the plane rolls on the runway, reaches the optimal speed and lift is created on the wings.

Answer 3

The engine thrust pushes the aircraft forward. There is no power to the wheels.

On some jets you can revese thrust to do a push back but it isn't usually done since it makes a mess and creates a potential for ingestion of foriegn material into the engine.

On the 727, we used to do power backs, but that was in the middle of an empty apron, not at a terminal.

Answer 4

Jets (all airplanes) propel themselves through the air and on the ground via thrust produced by their engines. Newton's third law tells us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Jet engines do have the ability to redirect thrust so that it pushes forward (reverse thrusters) but reverse thrusters cannot be operated below a certain speed (not certain of the speed but it's high) or damage to engine will occur. Therefore, they cannot be used to push an aircraft backwards.

Answer 5

During a strike at Heathrow, back in the 70s, an Aeroflot IL-76 did back out of the gate using reverse thrust. It didn't make them popular, but that was during the cold war and the USSR wasn't interested in being popular.

Answer 6

It amazes me that people will answer questions without fully knowing what they are speaking about.

The gas turbine engines of MOST airliners will push the aircraft in reverse with the thrust reversers, the same things that really slow you down after touchdown. Most FBO's (airports) do not like this approach because of the large amount of thrust being thrown towards the building and people and prefer to use the trucks.

Answer 7

They do not have any other means of propulsion other than their jet engines. That is why they need assistance in backing away from the gate by ground vehicles. Jets cannot go backwards, unless it is a military harier.

Answer 8

well they do have the power to go foward, airplanes do not have power sent to their wheels only brakes, though they have reverse thrusters that gas is not compressed to be able to propel the plane backwards, yet they do use their engines to ove forward and anydirection moving forward around the taxi ways and runways

Answer 9

none of the wheels are motorized,the only reason the tugs push it backwards is lack of any visibility, and safety all commercial air craft have reverse thrusters and are capable of using main engines to do so,just to near terminal to use

Answer 10

There are assistive ports at each passenger's seat (called 'Flintstone' devices, after the founder). Basically the passengers insert their legs and run along the tarmac to generate enough speed for take-off.