What's Wrong With This Picture-?

[Normy]

Anyone with an aviation background will gasp when they view this picture:



N!



PS- Hint: "I never understood all that V1 stuff, you know." said the flight engineer one day....

[Z-man]

I dunno - but if you were to put a conveyor belt under that plane...

-Z-man.

[trekkor]

I would hope it's taking off.

The flaps and elevator make it appear as if it's a very late landing?!? I hope not.


KT

[Neilk]

Well if that is an Airbus A340, some will joke that the curvature of the earth just took effect and the plane is taking off... or something like that.

no room to spare there.

[cgarr]

It looks like its in landing configuration?

[kstar]

I'm no aviator, but something looks wrong - late take-off or really late landing - what is it?

Best,

Kurt

[Neilk]

Well looking at the image name, it's a Ilyushin Il-86. found the picture here

[K. Roman]

Flaps down on take off. It's a late take-off, or he's just having fun.

[Tim Hancock]

Reminds me of hot summer days back when I owned a Grumman Yankee (AA1B) and was based at a 2000' grass runway. Full throttle....light back pressure....flip the electric flap switch to the down position once about halfway down the runway...glance at airspeed.... say prayer as you go past point of no return.... haul back on yoke and hope you are going fast enough to break ground.... slowly lower nose while in ground effect to pick up some badly needed airspeed.... slowly start bringing the flaps up a bit and gingerly climb out.... open vents to get rid of shiit smell from crapping your pants....

[pavulon]

missed the 5 wire...badly...PIN it!!!

[MT930]

If he's keeps the power to it he is going to be OK. Looks like to much flap for TO config. If he is landing his pants are going to get wet.

[Normy]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Reminds me of hot summer days back when I owned a Grumman Yankee (AA1B) and was based at a 2000' grass runway. Full throttle....light back pressure....flip the electric flap switch to the down position once about halfway down the runway...glance at airspeed.... say prayer as you go past point of no return.... haul back on yoke and hope you are going fast enough to break ground.... slowly lower nose while in ground effect to pick up some badly needed airspeed.... slowly start bringing the flaps up a bit and gingerly climb out.... open vents to get rid of shiit smell from crapping your pants....

You've had good training, sir. The Grumman Yankee/Tiger series of airplanes is like the 944 and the pre-996 911's: I just haven't owned one. Yet....

The airplane in the picture is an Illyushin IL-86. These are basically the first Russian wide-body. They are TERRIBLE aircraft, with short range and questionable reliability. The Illyushin corporation re-designed this aircraft and and with updated engines and Honeywell avionics...called it the IL-96. Later, they updated the Russian type cirtificate to include the United States. The problem: Most of the IL-86/96 flying are IL-96 standard, and can 't meet current noise standards. There was at one time a project to re-engine this aircraft with British Rolls-Royce RB211-535 engines, but this is still an ongoing process, five years later.

N!

[Jeff Alton]

I am guessing the airport maintenance crew went out shortly there after to replace some of the threshold lights......

Cheers

[911Rob]

Way to go Tim! Great Post!

[Joeaksa]

What Norm is trying to relate to is that any aircraft of that size has what is called "take off decision speed" (V1) and this aircraft threw all that safety factor and planning out the window UNLESS the pilot is playing around and holding the airplane on the runway to make the photo.

You are supposed to be able to go to a certain speed then abort the takeoff if you have a problem (engine, hyd, fire or such) and brake the airplane to a stop on the remaining runway. If you cannot do this, you offload weight from the airplane, either in pax, freight or fuel. Clearly this airplane is barely able to get off the runway in the length available and that means that should it have lost an engine or had another problem it would probably end up in the water at the end of the runway.

Its photos like this that make most of us who fly for a living fly with major Western airline carriers who would not put up with this type of crap. Its dangerous and just not needed.

[Tim Hancock]

I loved my little Grumman Normy, but it was a ground lover with those short wings and 108 hp! In the air however, it felt like a sports car compared to most general aviation airplanes as the controls were very light and responsive.

I am glad I owned one early on, as it prepped me for flying touchier airplanes than the Cessna 150 I learned to fly in. I considered converting mine into a taildragger and installing a bigger Lycoming, but those who have done these type conversions often complain of the limited range due to the relatively small amount fuel they can carry.

[Normy]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I loved my little Grumman Normy, but it was a ground lover with those short wings and 108 hp! In the air however, it felt like a sports car compared to most general aviation airplanes as the controls were very light and responsive.

I am glad I owned one early on, as it prepped me for flying touchier airplanes than the Cessna 150 I learned to fly in. I considered converting mine into a taildragger and installing a bigger Lycoming, but those who have done these type conversions often complain of the limited range due to the relatively small amount fuel they can carry.

The "sports car" metaphor is accurate, from what I've heard. I want to try one of these out bad! This is the one light airplane that just "looks right". I would like to own one someday....though since I don't have an A&P license, it will be at least a decade before I can afford the maintenance.

I've been told that you can fly this airplane with the cockpit hatch open. Is this true?

N