There is this arguement with my friend that war plane can fly with one wing if one is shot off by blasting or otherwise.
2007-02-23 22:10:22 · 22 answers · asked by Uncle Sam 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Sorry to disappoint all you naysayers, but it is possible. Here is a video of Israeli F-15 which landed with one wing missing. Granted it as almost acting like a rocket. Yes some of the video is CGI recreation.
http://www.mojoflix.com/Video/One-Wing-Landing.html
Added: For those of you who are saying lucky and giving lengthy explanations, look at the question. Person only wanted to know if it was "possible in an emergency". Wasn't specific to type of aircraft, etc. So answer is yes. And nice job to the toolbox who just answered question with my answer AFTER if posted mine.
2007-02-24 02:29:23 · answer #1 · answered by sc0tt.rm 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
true the F-15 did do it but only becasue it has like a 2 to 1 thrust to weight ratio. this is why the F-15 holds the record of fastest vertical climb (to 500,000 FT) for an aircraft. any F-15 pilot will tell you its like being strapped to a rocket when you go full AB. I have seen first had the take off then it goes vertical at the end of the runway and with in a few seconds its gone from sight. I have heard talk that the A-10 can fly on only one wing but true or not I really dont know. as I only seen the F-15 one to be factual with proof.
so besides that the answer is no its not possible if you watch old WWII film footage of aircraft getting a whole wing shot off at the fusealage. the aircraft spins out and straight to the ground. most likely the same would happen to most aircraft today.
2007-02-27 04:41:26 · answer #2 · answered by Jecht 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's your full answer:
Logically, and aerodynamically, it is not possible, as the force differential between the two wings (or one wing, and lack of the other wing) would put the plane into a roll that cannot be recovered from.
The F-15 scenario, which resulted from a mid-air collision, is truly unique. Even McDonell Douglas thought it was impossible, and the wing was sheared off on the ground in some taxi-ing accident, but combat footage proved otherwise, as did all the eyewitness accounts. And since then MD engineer did countless simulations. Their conclusion was that the huge rear horizontal stabilizer, combined with the lifting body design, managed to keep the jet in the air. If I recall correctly, the pilot did roll a couple times, but managed to stabilize the craft before he lost too much altitude. So it's a once-in-a-lifetime occurance, don't count on it.
2007-02-24 13:30:46 · answer #3 · answered by Kasey C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A normal aircraft would not be able to fly on one wing. A fighter jet has the possibility to do so, however keep in mind that fighters are designed much different then normal airplanes. The F-15 in that video was basically flying like a rocket, not an airplane.
A NORMAL airplane, if one wing is lost, will either spiral to the ground, or brake of in mid-air.
2007-02-26 14:42:59 · answer #4 · answered by Timothy B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a balence between the two wings. It's kind of like a scale you have to weights on both sides weighing the same and it will balence take one of those weights off and the other side goes down. The plane will crash, but not make a complete spiral into the ground. Also, with one wing gone there isn't enough lift to hold the plane in the air anymore.
2007-02-24 10:17:03 · answer #5 · answered by *unknownuser* 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not possible to "fly" with one wing only. Thats like taking off the 2 right tires on your car and driving on a racetrack. The F-15 vid is amazing, but the pilot was the luckiest man on earth. In terms of survivability, yes it happened.
2007-02-24 11:50:18 · answer #6 · answered by eetrapnoel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The whole mechanism of flight is to have a balance uplift distributed evenly between two wings. The moment one wing is lost the plane will topple over and it will drop like a rock from the sky.
2007-02-24 08:10:04 · answer #7 · answered by Pabs 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Israeli F-15 was able to land due to the design of the aircraft, not luck. MD wasn't even aware the aircraft had this ability until it happened. The body of the F-15 is a lifting body. The pilot wasn't even aware the wing was missing until he landed, according to the interview I saw. Knew he had a problem, of course, but not enough of a problem to eject. Lifting body aircraft are nothing new, as NASA played with them in the 60s. I saw a couple of them in the Mojave. Very weird looking machines, but they did fly, more or less.
2007-02-24 12:55:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A single engine airplane, if it lost one complete wing, would not necessarily spin to the ground. The still attached wing could act as a big vertical stabilizer causing the airplane to plummet sideways to the ground. At any rate, all of the above is true. I hope you never get to experience that yourself.
2007-02-24 08:19:11 · answer #9 · answered by billy brite 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. You can fly with working engine(s) on one wing but not if the other wing is missing. With one wing the plane would spiral and plummet.
2007-02-24 06:19:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋