Does an airplane have a clutch?

Question

Help solve a bet...does a plane have a clutch similar to that in a car??

Answer 1

airplanes don't helicopters in fact do have a "clutch".
the difference is that the pilot does not control it and it is continuously linked as long as the engine runs. This works with the turbo shaft engines. the clutch is in between the engine and the main gear box. it helps to disconnect the accidentally dead engine from the main reduction gear to save the rotor rounds per minute, which would otherwise be wasted in turning the dead engine. -like going neutral or starting the engine without the battery by pushing the car.
Certainly there is no clutch pedal as you know it from your car.

Answer 2

No; airplanes don't have clutches, nor are they needed.
In a propeller-driven aircraft, the propeller is connected to
the engine either directly by a shaft, or through a reduction
gear in the case of a high-speed turbine engine.
In the case of jet aircraft, thrust is generated by the reaction
when exhust gases are blown out the tailpipe of the engine.
In both cases, a clutch is not required. The wheels are not
driven by the engine(s), they just act as rollers on the ground.

Answer 3

No, in propeller driven airplane its ussually use a direct drive system, that connect the prop right to the crankshaft. So you just put throttle, and the engine will directly turns the prop which will drive the plane forward. So as in jet, the principle is they dont move because the engine drive the tire, so they doesnt need a clucth to keep the engine from quiting.

Answer 4

No. Aircraft simply throttle up to accelerate. There is nothing on an aircraft that disconnects the prop from the engine, which is what the purpose of a clutch is. Jet engines obviously don't have a clutch, as the entire engine is connected from front to rear.

Answer 5

No, no clutch.

They are directly driven. That means the propeller is directly geared to the driveshaft inside the engine. Propeller driven aircraft can have governors though, which use oil pressure to change the pitch of the blades and either increase or decrease the resistance on the blade, thereby increasing or decreasing the RPM achieved.

Answer 6

In a way, they do. Most turboprop engines have a device that disconnects the propeller from the engine in case the propeller starts spinning faster than the engine-not a desireable situation. However, it's not controlled by the pilot, so it does function like a clutch but not like in a car.

Answer 7

Air Force's new F-35B do have a clutch to engage it's vertical take off fan in the front

Answer 8

Some turbine engines have clutches, but they engage and disengage automatically. The Soloy twin-pac has two turbines turning a single prop through a gearbox and if one engine quits, the clutch for that engine disengages or the gearbox would lock up.
Multi-engine helicopters also have clutches for the same reason.
Even single engine turbine helicopters have clutches, so you don't have to turn the rotor when starting.

Answer 9

Yes, airplanes do have clutches. They are usually located and accompanied by the loose nut behide the stick.

By the way has anyone ever had to explain to a pilot why his/her radio doesn't work when the switch is placed in the O.F.F. position?

Answer 10

Aircraft do not have clutches. They are directly driven by the propulsion system. They do have brakes, but there is no clutch.

Switching from forward to reverse is a matter of the following:

In a propeller driven plane:
To reverse, change the pitch of the props to create backwards propulsion.

In a jet driven plane:
Reverse the direction of the flow of air.

In both cases there is no clutch.