Turning/Lines

1) Planes turn sharply by using a mixture of bank and yaw. Ailerons control the bank. Bank to around 20 degrees (or more if you want a steep turn) and then apply some rudder i.e. yaw, which turns the nose or the aircraft. You'll need to apply some back pressure aswell (physics dictates that the nose drops in a turn).

2) I'm not a real world pilot but pilots of a 747 will have had a lot of intense training and practice so will be able to adjust the controls of an aircraft to get it to land on the centerline. If you can't see the lines, then the aircraft is in IFR and will execute a precision approach whereby cockpit instruments (namely the ILS) will show in what direction the centerline is. The pilot then just needs to adjust controls according to the cockpit instruments for a centerline landing.

😉

I think he means the taxiway lines.

On the ground the rudder is connected to the nose wheel so you use the rudder pedals to steer the plane. They can steer pretty dramatically when you apply full rudder.

I am not a pilot but im having flying lessons. You do not need to follow the lines perfectly they are just a guide. You can see them from the cockpit of a small a/c easily and I imagine you can see them a few yeards infront of you in a larger plane.

Doyley wrote:

I think he means the taxiway lines.

On the ground the rudder is connected to the nose wheel so you use the rudder pedals to steer the plane. They can steer pretty dramatically when you apply full rudder.

I am not a pilot but im having flying lessons. You do not need to follow the lines perfectly they are just a guide. You can see them from the cockpit of a small a/c easily and I imagine you can see them a few yeards infront of you in a larger plane.

My mistake.

Just to add to Doyley's explanation, you can use differential brakes and asymmetric thrust to turn an aircraft sharply as well as full rudder / nose wheel. It is possible for 747s to do 170 degree turns.

Also, I believe that some aircraft have a camera linked to the cockpit, on the bottom of the fuselage so you can see the nose wheel. Airbus aircraft also have a camera on the vertical stabiliser so they can see the aircrafts position from an informative angle.

😉

how do you apply full rudder or yaw damp? what controls do i use?

Anonymous wrote:

how do you apply full rudder or yaw damp? what controls do i use?

Are you using a joystick, keyboard or yoke?

Joysticks usually have a twist function. Keyboards use 0 and Enter I believe (it might be 4 and 6 on the numpad) to taxi with 5 centering the rudder. Remember to just tap it. If you are using a yoke, then it should come with pedals which control the rudder.

What do you mean that the 747 can make a 170 DEGREE turn??!!

That´s almost backwards..

ohhhh just to correct Doyleys comment Large commercial aircraft use what is called a tiller( not sure on the spelling) its a small handle like device that is used to turn the nose wheel. Smaller aircraft like the cessna have the nose wheel steering connected to the rudder pedals. 😂
Spitfires rule

Immanuel wrote:

What do you mean that the 747 can make a 170 DEGREE turn??!!

That´s almost backwards..

In some circumstances, a taxiiway is at an angle to the runway so if it is the only available taxiiway, then a 747 will have to make a 170 degree turn off the runway. A good example of this is from the two 747s at the Tenerife disaster.

Indeed. The ATC controller who was used to much smaller aircraft asked the pilot of the 747 to come off an exit that involved a 120+ degree turn. The pilot felt this had to be incorrect and continued on the runway to the next exit unaware another 747 was heading towards them. A design fault of the radio systems used and lack of collision warning technology also contributed to the cause of the tragedy.

I forgot to add that investigators also believe the captain of one of the aircraft were suffering from what they term 'get up thereitis'
They had spent hours delayed on the tarmac due to terrorist threats, were risking exceeding their allowed flying hours which would have cost the airline lots of money and wanted to set off without further delay and 'leave the problems behind them'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_Disaster

Interesting article. Had the captain decided not to refuel which he didn't need to do anyway the aircraft would probably have been light enough to miss the other 747 as it was airborne when its landing gear struck the other plane. Its amazing how many factors lead to disasters such as that one which remains the worst air crash of all time.

Another fatal accident occured when the captain decided not to refuel a and while cruising a short circit ignited excessive fumes that were only present because the fuel level was so low in a particular tank.