What is the advantage and disadvantage of thrust reversers?

A traditional thrust reverser moves only a very small mass (little flaps, etc), so can react much quicker. Second drawback will be weight. Any type of rotation system is going to very heavy. You'll be flying thousands of pounds around that are only used for a few seconds during the entire flight.



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Most airlines deploy thrust reversers on every landing. The thrust reverser operating guidelines are well established and are typically based on inputs from the airframe manufacturer. Although most airlines deploy thrust reversers on every landing, the level of reverse thrust used is left to the pilots discretion.

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More reverse thrust means more dirt is thrown into the air, which can then be ingested by the engine: Damage to turboprop engines is not as common as in jet engines, because the inlets are generally smaller and the propeller serves as a first line of defense.

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A: Some of the early generation jets, such as the DC-8, allowed for in-flight reversing of the inboard engines. No modern jets have this feature. Airplanes have safety locks that prevent reverse thrust from being activated in flight.

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Fighter jets are designed with maneuverability and speed in mind. A thrust reversal system comes with a mass penalty. This can reduce both the speed and maneuverability. They also increase the complexity of the maintenance process.

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These tiny holes, also called breather holes, serve as a safety function, by making sure that the outer pane bears all the air pressure (the pressure inside the cabin is much higher than outside). This also ensures that in case the pressure difference becomes high enough, it is the outer pane that breaks off first.

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