Venting soot?

[Vibes]

Hi All,

I would like to seek your advice with regards to the following.In the link that I've attached below,the SIA's A380 seems to have a black streak underneath its belly whereas the QANTAS A380 doesn't.Is there any explanation for such an occurrence?It seems to me that it is venting some sort of soot from the vent hole.Is there anyway this could be prevented?

Photos: Airbus A380-841 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Singapore-Airlines/Airbus-A380-841/1600353/L/&sid=6122eb2ef62017b5309c352f60ab1cc1)

Photos: Airbus A380-842 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Qantas/Airbus-A380-842/1720328/L/&sid=6122eb2ef62017b5309c352f60ab1cc1)


Best Regards,
Vibes

[One Outsider]

There is a drain mast just forward of the streak which no doubt consists of coffee and what else get poured down the galley drains.

[PENKO]

Probably the Qantas airframe is two weeks younger..

[sb_sfo]

Or the QF has a more recent wash?

[rudderrudderrat]

Hi,

It looks like a hydraulic fluid leak.

Don't know about A380 - but A320 has a hydraulic selector valve which controls the opening / closing of forward cargo door in about that position. I've occasionally seen them weep - looks like that one is really crying.

[SMOC]

It's coffee / tea etc as said above, CX A/C are covered in it.

[spannersatcx]

CX A/C are covered in it even though the cabin crew have been told 00000000's of times not to do it, but flush it down the toilet instead!:mad:

[PENKO]

ASFKAP, read that post again :ok:

[muduckace]

Wow those motors smoke the hell out of those wings, the o/b flap canoes look like they take allot of heat. Ohh as for the bellies, there is allways something to foul them up and it really does not matter what the fluid is, dust and dirt adhears and makes them look nasty.



The only difference I see between the two is Quantas got a bath, taking note of my engine soot comment.

[gusting_45]

Much ado about nothing.

Company from many years ago operting L-188c's, our standard call was "set cruise power, shut down number 3" due to the prolific engine oil leak. Now that was a stained aircraft.

[muduckace]

Hey stains are great, help allot in troubleshooting a leak. One common one that peaves me is the blast of smoke usually up the right side of many aircraft from parking GPU's too close.

[no-hoper]

No hydraulics in this area of the belly fairing.The fwd drain mast is located there.But for fluids coming from the fwd galleys via the GWDU (galley waste deposal unit,kind of second sink for all kinds of deposal)the correct storage are the waste tanks...

Outboard via 2 drain masts: Lavatory washbasins,galley sinks and showers when installed.

Collected in waste tanks:Toilets and GWDUs.

Last option for the dirty fuselage:Spillage in fwd cargo,drain overboard

[mustafagander]

Qantas A/C get a wash?? In your dreams - they get a wash when we fly through a rain storm.

Likely the stain is from drain fluids. Unlikely to be coffee - cabin crew are drilled not to tip anything like that in the drain system. It goes into the rubbish bins.

[mustafagander]

It can, of course, happen after a dodgy vindaloo but I would be surprised were it to be noticeable on the airframe!!

[Nepotisim]

The QF wash crew at Base work 24/7. They do a fantastic job to keep the aircraft looking good. Now if management were to spend some money painting them.......................

[Fargoo]

Regardless of the stains that is some fantastic photography :ok:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/3/5/3/1600353.jpg