94
votes
Why don't aircraft use nuclear propulsion?
TL;dr - too heavy :-)
It's just not a good energy source for something like an aircraft.
Nuclear energy is superb for instances where you need continuous output over a long period of time, for ...
- 1,467
87
votes
Are the guns on a fighter jet fixed or can they be aimed?
They are fixed, and many attempts were made over the years to have an aiming capability - and all failed. That should tell you something.
The earliest aereal combats used indeed handguns which were ...
- 230k
73
votes
Why don't aircraft use nuclear propulsion?
To a large extent, it wasn't revived because the only realistic use case became obsolete. The USA and USSR were both interested in nuclear-powered long-range bombers. The plan was to have a fleet of ...
- 11.9k
72
votes
Locked out of private jet - how do you get in?
It depends on the exact model. Bobby pins or any key that physically fits will get you into some, you'll need real picks for others, and some custom jobs may require a police snap gun or a locksmith's ...
70
votes
Why is this missile positioned in this odd position? How can it be launched correctly?
You're seeing the Sidewinder on the folded up wingtip of the F-18 that is in the foreground out of frame except for its wing tip and missile sticking up at the bottom. The airplane is between the ...
- 126k
50
votes
Accepted
What is this jetliner seen in the Falcon Crest TV series?
It is a Grumman Gulfstream II business jet, not an airliner.
The oval windows are very unique to both the Grumman Gulfstream I business turboprop, and Grumman Gulfstream II business jet. The small ...
- 37.5k
49
votes
Accepted
Are the guns on a fighter jet fixed or can they be aimed?
The guns of modern fighter jets are fixed to the airframe—they can't be moved in any direction; the pilot has to maneuver the aircraft to bring the guns to bear. The image shows the mounting of ...
- 100k
46
votes
Accepted
On the F15-E, can the WSO take over if the pilot is incapacitated?
Short answer, yes. However, it is important to note that the WSO is not a pilot. The WSO is trained to operate the weapons systems, not fly the aircraft, but does have basic flight controls ...
- 576
43
votes
Accepted
Can someone/something other than the pilot trigger the ejection seat?
In a word, yes.
There is a switch which controls this and the default position is "both". If any handle is pulled (pull down over the face or the one between your legs), then both seats ...
- 31.2k
42
votes
Accepted
Do jet fighters have air conditioning systems?
Yes. Fighter aircraft have air conditioning systems. In general, they are called as Environmental Conditioning Systems (ECS). Their primary functions (as far as cockpit goes) include,
Cockpit ...
- 100k
42
votes
Accepted
What does this hand gesture of fighter jet pilots mean?
It is the signal to perform a fuel check. (Actually: "How much fuel have you?")
The hand mimics drinking from a bottle, and when given by a formation flight lead it is intended to prompt ...
- 24.9k
37
votes
Can a jet stream make a subsonic plane fly at a supersonic speed relative to the ground?
Yes, the ground speed of a subsonic aircraft could be larger than the speed of sound. As an example, during the record time for a subsonic Atlantic crossing a Boeing 747 reached speeds of up to 1327 ...
- 54.3k
36
votes
Accepted
Slanted Brown Rectangles on Aircraft Carriers?
The rectangles are called impact pads. The ends of the arresting cable tend to snap back onto the deck after an aircraft catches it. The replaceable polyurethane pads protect the carrier deck from the ...
- 71.8k
34
votes
Were propeller airplanes significantly more "scary" to fly in compared to modern jet ones?
Old propeller airliners were much more prone to "bumpy" ride than modern jets, for one major reason: they flew lower.
When I was in my early teens (almost fifty years ago), I flew several ...
- 17k
32
votes
Why do many fighter jets have double vertical stabilizers?
There are a few reasons many fighter/bomber designs have 2 vertical stabilizers:
one large tail produced more shear force at the root, 2 smaller tails mean less force at the vertical stabilizer root. ...
- 52.9k
32
votes
Accepted
Can a missile be fired when a fighter jet is inverted?
The combat advantage of fighters (as opposed to heavier-payload bombers) is their maneuverability, therefore a missile delivery restriction such as g-limit (think Sidewinder heat-seeker in a dogfight) ...
- 436
31
votes
Accepted
Is it correct that a jet fighter can be used as a non-lethal (sonic) weapon?
Sonic booms from low flying aircraft, while loud, don't seem to cause hearing damage, as this F-14 pilot demonstrates during a Tiger Cruise air wing demonstration.
...
- 72.8k
30
votes
On the F15-E, can the WSO take over if the pilot is incapacitated?
Yes. They can fly the aircraft if required. The F-15E is developed from F-15D , which is used for aircrew training, with the instructing pilot in the rear seat.
There is atleast one documented case ...
- 100k
30
votes
Accepted
Which fighter jet is this, based on the silhouette?
What you've got there is a real life F-15! Love this aircraft, it's just got that quintessential military jet look about it.
There are 2 features which make it stand out
The shape of the trailing ...
- 31.8k
29
votes
Accepted
Why do many fighter jets have double vertical stabilizers?
Though the reasons for having twin vertical stabilizers vary from aircraft to aircraft and is mainly a design decision, there are some advantages in having twin vertical stabilizers.
Having twin ...
- 100k
29
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to fly around the world to stay in daylight with a fighter jet?
Even near the equinox, when the day length is essentially the same over the entire world, this is possible.
At the equator, not so much; you'd have to average around Mach 1.5, including slowdowns for ...
- 17k
28
votes
Are the guns on a fighter jet fixed or can they be aimed?
They are fixed. The pilot must maneuver the aircraft such that the trajectory of the bullets will impact his selected target.
Here is a picture of the HUD on a F/A-18 during a gun run on a ground ...
- 39.7k
27
votes
Accepted
Why is it called "Dry Thrust"?
Dry thrust usually means the non-augumented thrust i.e. thrust without the use of afterburners or liquid injection. The maximum thrust produced by jet engines w/o afterburner is sometimes called ...
- 100k
27
votes
Is it correct that a jet fighter can be used as a non-lethal (sonic) weapon?
An American F-16 pilot scared off Iraqi troops closing in on an SAS force in 2003.
Apparently the pilot could not visually identify the SAS force, so instead of dropping ordinance and potentially ...
- 6,317
27
votes
What kind of jet plane is this?
That is a Bede BD-5, a microjet famously flown by James Bond. Based on the tail it may be the propeller variant.
(source)
- 100k
26
votes
Are the guns on a fighter jet fixed or can they be aimed?
I was a light attack pilot in the 1980s and flew off the USS Nimitz. I don't want to give anyone the idea that air-to-air warfare is something that can be scripted. It is highly complex, like chess, ...
- 4,288
26
votes
Accepted
How does a turbofan with afterburner continue to function in extreme humidity and rain?
The air is compressed in the compressor section of the engine and heats up. Hot air is able to hold disproportionally more water in gaseous form than cold air, so all that water will vaporize and ...
- 230k
25
votes
Accepted
Is Jetman flying above other aircraft allowed? How it is possible?
Yes. This is part of a series of promotional stunts, "adverts", Emirates are undertaking. Aircraft can fly in formation, all other rules taken into account, if the captains agree.
By flying above ...
- 31.2k
25
votes
Is it correct that a jet fighter can be used as a non-lethal (sonic) weapon?
The use of a "show of force" by supersonic aircraft has variable influence on the ground
Could you, in theory, protect the border of a country from intruding
crowds by simply flying over them (...
- 4,201
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