I am wondering if any plane can become ETOPS certified? And, is ETOPS the right acronym?
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
0
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
3
Theoretically anything can be certified if resources are allocated to meet certification requirements. It may not be practical though:
- The plane must have at least two engines (obviously)
- It must have the range to fly to an alternate on one engine only
- Engine failure should not increase cockpit workload too much. Mostly this means some automation system that can operate with asymmetrical thrust.
(2) rules out small twin-engine planes that only have a few hours of endurance on a full tank, and (3) rules out anything without a glass cockpit and avionics suite.
Also, ETOPS is not just about aircraft design; it deals with aircraft maintenance as well. The manufacturer and operator need to come up with a maintenance program that reduces in-flight failures by monitoring various metrics and taking preventive actions before a component fault happens.
Therefore, on some aircrafts, it may not be worth the effort to obtain ETOPS.
-
$\begingroup$ Also, ETOPS is a qualification for commercial passenger aircraft - if it's not commercial or it's not passenger, then it doesn't need ETOPS. $\endgroup$– RACCommented Nov 21, 2017 at 11:45
-
$\begingroup$ Theoretically, could a single-engine plane satisfy the requirements if it had extremely good glide performance? $\endgroup$– VikkiCommented Feb 3, 2019 at 4:50
-
$\begingroup$ I don't know how the regulations are written, but the best gliders have a glide ratio of about 70:1, assuming that can be sustained from 30000 feet to the ground that would give a range in still air of about 400 miles. I suspect reality is much worse as it would be difficult to maintain a good glide ratio through widely changing atmospheric conditions. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 1, 2020 at 1:08