Originally Posted by
tdracer
I saw flight test data from the 747-8 flutter testing at Mach 0.98 to 0.99.
Really plays havoc with some of the sensors.....
That's when you need some diesel oil and lamp black:
http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/42690...ml#post5937737
Originally Posted by
KRviator
Didn't that China Airlines 747SP get close to, or exceed, Mach 1 during its upset, they just didn't have the DFDR data to prove it?
Iv'e got a book somewhere that claims they probably exceeded the speed of sound but the flight recorder wasn't working during the periods it would have - convenient?
They wouldn't have had a DFDR on a 747SP of that vintage, and the lateral loads generated during the spiral dive would likely have rendered the airspeed data somewhat suspect. Said lateral loads would have had far more to contribute to the damage than exceeding Mach 1.
@Desert185/Smilin' Ed : While I'm sure the Diesel 8 was tough, I suspect that the VC-10 and Trident were tougher. The Achilles' heel of Douglas designs was that ergonomically and technologically they were somewhat behind the competition.