Do airplanes have a reverse gear?

Question

Me and my friend are arguing. He is saying no and I still think that they do have reverse, even though I am becoming skeptic about my answer because I see those special little trucks push the airplanes backward.

Answer 1

No. Some aircraft are known to use reverse thrust to go backwards, but this is entirely different. Revers thrust redirects the forward exhaust gases backwards. Some aircraft can power back. They can reverse out of a gate on there own. Northwest's DC-9 do it all the time at Detroit.

Here's a good example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiRkA0xr96Y

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID3jfc39x3E&mode=related&search=

Answer 2

Most jet will likely have the thrust-reversal system, and might be capable to back the plane up without the need of a push back tractor. Capable doesn't mean allowed, though. Things like foreign object ingestion and traffic collision are some of the things that prohibit the use of "power backs".

And if you're allowed to "power back" like the DC-9s, you just can't simply hit the brake if you feel you've backed-up enough and want to stop. The plane will tip-up. You'll need to counter-thrust the movement to stop. It means that you can't just stop whenever you want (or need) it, it'll need some time for the engines to close the reverser, and then spool-up for the forward thrust to begin stopping the aircraft. The pilots also don't really know how much and how far they have to turn, because they obviously don't have a rear view-mirror!

I'd say, it's not the safest thing to do.

Answer 3

The only gears in an aircraft is to convert some of the engines torque to hydraulic and electrical power. They do not move the aircraft at all, if they did when the thing took off it would lose all speed. There are a variety of reverse thrust options available either by changing the pitch of the propellers to direct air forwards instead of backwards, or else the more simpler method used on jet aircraft by throwing a 'bucket' behind the engine to re-direct the jet exhaust forwards. Aircraft can be moved backwards using reverse thrust but in the case of jet aircraft this is potentially very damaging to the engines if any debris is blown in to the engine air intake. There is also no need for an aircraft to move backwards except when leaving the stand and there are tractors there to do that (the pilot can't see whats behind him either) - so why would he need reverse gears. If an aircraft doesn't need something it wont be fitted in order to keep the weight to a minimum.

Answer 4

Most commercial jet craft have thrust reversers to slow the plane down. They have been used in the past to reverse the plane from the gates BUT due to more congestion in the ramp area, it has become too dangerous. There are not mirrors on the planes to see where you are going. Now, TUGs are used to push back because they can see what obstructions are in the area. By not using the thrust reversers, the jet blast isn't aimed at the terminal.

Some airplanes have a variable pitch propeller that can allow the plane to move in reverse.

Answer 5

The turbine engines on a plane is designed to push the plane forward, sucking in air from the front. Some planes have breaking systems which reverse this forward thrust by rerouting the expelled warm air back to the front of the engines, but this is only meant to slow planes down. Backward movement and fine manoeuvres are done by the "special little trucks" you see on the runway.
Otherwise, planes would have been able to park and turn themselves into position by themselves, like a car.

Answer 6

No reverse gears, or forward gears for that matter. But just like a jet or prop engine can produce forward thrust they can also produce reverse thrust by thrust reversers on jets and reversible pitch propellers on prop driven aircraft. The reverse thrust is meant to be used to slow the aircraft down after landing but in a pinch it can be used to back out of a gate or other parking spot. We don't like to do that more than is necessary because for several reasons it's hard on the engines and we have no rear view mirrors so it can be spooky without some ground guidance. So you win. Tell your friend he owes you a beer.

Answer 7

Yeah they have a Tremec T-5 Ford Transmission with a Georgie Overdrive, that is turbo ready. Just kidding y'all, when the planes get pushed back, it is purely the tug pushing it back. But planes do have reverse. They are called reversers or "TR's" They take the forward thrust and force it forward to act as a break. But they rarely use them for pushing back from the gates. In fact it is restricted at some airports to push back from a gate using them because of the loud noise they produce. But it is just the tug that pushes the plane back.

Answer 8

They do not have a reverse gear, which is why a tug pushes them back from the loading gates.
They DO have thrust reversers, which are used to slow them down when landing. I have seen them used (improperly) to back up an aircraft before, but it works by thrust, not a gear like a transmission.
Some aircraft ARE designed to back up with the thrust reversers (The USAF C-17 is designed to back up a 2 percent grade with the thrust reversers)

Answer 9

Yes.
Most turbines have propellers with a Beta mode (reverse pitch) for slowing down. You can back up with this but is usually not used because it tends to suck debris into the engine and prop off of the ramp.

Answer 10

Not a reverse gear, but all jets with thrust reversers and prop planes with reversible props can and do back up.