PDA

View Full Version : A380 speed stability?


pax2908
18th Mar 2006, 18:31
Sorry if this was asked before. Many months ago there was a documentary on French TV about one (maybe the first) A380 test flight. At some point, the pilot noticed that the a/c would accelerate faster (for a given thrust) once past a certain airspeed, and attributed this effect to "wing flexing". At least, this is what I understood. Someone else (one of the flight engineers) commented "I would like to see this in turbulence". So my question is, is this a known effect in general, how important can it be, does it need to be fixed (in software?).

Thanks

Edited: this was "A380: l'envol d'un géant" on France 2, June 12th 2005.
Edited: (to Rainboe) is it actually possible that the drag vs speed curve may have a 'kink' or even a local maximum at some speed well above the min. drag speed?

Rainboe
18th Mar 2006, 18:44
The aircraft can fly slower than the minimum drag speed. What this means is that it is hard work to accelerate towards this minimum drag speed. As the speed builds, the acceleration increases slightly. Above this speed, increasing drag through extra speed will reduce acceleration eventually to zero. Sometimes when the aeroplane climbs to its absolute maximum, it can be very difficult with maimum power to even speed up at all. Once the aeroplane does start speeding up, the attitude lowers slightly to its minimum drag figure and then speed can build quite rapidly. It is a normal effect. I don't see where wing flexing comes in at all or understand the turbulence quotation- I am sure it will be just like the 747.