From 0 to 100km/h in... From the Boeing 737 to the A380, how fast planes take off on the runway
Forget Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini. And even the most powerful models of brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. However, jet [...]
Forget Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini. And even the more powerful models of brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. However, passenger jets, in their rush for takeoff down the runway, they 'push' not a little, as evidenced by the typical crushing sensation against the seat that we feel.
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Yeah, but how much do they 'push'? Before we bring out the stopwatches, it must be said that the performance of the turbofans with which aircraft around the world are powered is affected by a number of external factors, first do all The weight of the aircraft at the time of takeoff, which varies significantly depending on the number of passengers in the cabin, the load of luggage and cargo in the hold, and the amount of fuel in the tanks.
To put it bluntly, a Boing 777 that has to fly from Rome to Dubai is likely to have much less fuel on board than an identical airplane that has to fly from Rome to Los Angeles. And this will inevitably affect its performance, both on the ground and in the air.
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Two other factors that greatly affect the acceleration of aircraft (and thus the distance they need to reach sufficient speed for takeoff) are the outdoor temperature and altitude Of the airport above sea level.
'Hot and high' is the worst condition. That, for example, suffered on summer afternoons at Mexico City airport where, not surprisingly, airlines flying to Europe or Asia traditionally avoid slots before the sun sets.
How much altitude affects performance is also told by the schedule of Ethiopian Airlines, whose flights to North America are required to refuel in Europe, from next week will stop in Rome (while those from North America operate nonstop) because the altitude of Addis Ababa limits the amount of fuel that can be taken on board in relation to the length of the runway.
This happens because the rarefaction of air at high altitudes and the temperature of the air itself adversely affect the performance of engine turbines, which work at their best at sea level and in temperate climates.
That said, wanting to compare airplanes to cars to see how fast they go from 0 to 100kmh, there are some funny videos on Youtube showing how much the jets we fly on 'snap' from the moment the pilot 'takes his foot off the brake' and pushes the throttles of the thrusters forward.
The snappiest of the most popular jets is probably the Boeing 737: the -800 version (but it is likely that the smaller -700 and -600 do even better) was clocked in 8 seconds 7 tenths from 0 to 100kmh and 9 seconds 7 tenths from 100 to 200kmh. Airbus A320 would seem a bit more 'turtle-like': Youtube videos time it between 9 1/2 seconds and 10 seconds in accelerating from 0 to 100kmh and in about 10 1/2 seconds between 100 and 200kmh.
And how do the 'giants of the skies' perform? The Boeing 747-400 defends itself, considering its size, with a time between 12 and 13 seconds to reach 100kmh and a remarkable 11 seconds and a few tenths between 100 and 200kmh. The A380, which besides being much heavier is known for its smooth progression in the takeoff run, stops the stopwatches between 14 and 15 seconds to touch 100kmh, with similar times also between 100 and 200kmh.
