Amazing video of 747 lifting in place in extreme wind conditions - 1080P HD
Why Aviation Stack Exchange recommends it
Aviation Stack Exchange answerers point people to it as a vivid real-world example of how wind on deployed flaps and a tail-heavy parked aircraft can lift or rotate a 747.
Recommended by 0 people across 0 different months, 2014 to 2017.
What it is
A 2012 clip filmed from a tripod at 400mm shows a retired 747 in the Mojave boneyard lifting its nose in a 70+ mph windstorm. With the engines removed and the flaps deployed, the tail-heavy airframe tries to lift off and later turns about 45 degrees. The uploader, Massee Media, adds a Q&A rebutting claims that the footage is fake.
What people said
Cites fooot · 2014-09 · Aviation Stack Exchange · on “What's that component between the engine and wing?”
This part is called the "pylon" or "strut" for the engine. It holds the engine on the wing, provides a path for all of the engine systems to connect, and includes the aerodynamic fairing to cover it all. The strut is designed to prevent a fire in the engine area [LINK] from spreading to the wing. Mounting the engine below and forward of the wing leading edge provides some advantages [LINK] over other options [LINK] . Once the strut is installed on the wing, it is intended to be permanently attached there. As shown in falstro's picture [LINK] , the engine mounts are installed on the engine, and allow engines to be installed and removed as needed. When no engines are installed, a weight is sus
Cites Peter Kämpf · 2014-10 · Aviation Stack Exchange · on “Why are flaps retracted when an aircraft is parked on ground?”
You never know what wind speed will hit the aircraft until the crew returns. Also, retracted flaps are much less of an obstacle to careless drivers of airport trucks. This video [this video] shows a parked 747 in high winds. Now imagine what would have happened if the flaps had been deployed! Note that fully extended high lift systems at ground angle of attack can produce five or six times the lift of the wing with flaps retracted. Lowering the trailing edge flaps increases wing area and lowers the zero-lift angle of attack, so at ground attitude the wing is much farther up on the lift curve slope. In aircraft with manual controls it is also recommended to secure all control surfaces, so they don
Cites pr1268 · 2017-05 · Aviation Stack Exchange · on “Can a 737 yaw while parked due to wind?”
Slightly related (with a B747): "The next day the plane was found to have also rotated about 45 degrees from its original position." [this video]
Cites Agent_L · 2017-10 · Aviation Stack Exchange · on “What are the advantages of towbarless pushback tugs?”
@TomMcW see [this video] - if the aircraft is mistrimmed, it takes power to keep its front wheel down. Nosewheel carries about 4-10% of the aircraft weight. Those 10 people can speed up the plane and then roll its nosewheel on a 5cm tall ramp - boom, they've just lifted the wheel as the tug did.