For example, with a glide ratio of 15:1, a Boeing 747-200 can glide for 150 kilometres (93 mi; 81 nmi) from a cruising altitude of 10,000 metres (33,000 ft).
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The lift-drag ratio for commercial airliners is about 16:1. The distance that a 747 could glide is a function of altitude. Gliding from cruise altitude of 30,000 ft, or about five miles would have a range of 80 miles.
The A380 has a glide ratio of about 15:1, which means that for every 15 kilometers (9 miles) it travels horizontally, it loses 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of altitude. Therefore, if an A380 is cruising at 12 kilometers (7 miles) above sea level, it can glide for about 180 kilometers (110 miles) before reaching the ground.
[6] Using glide ratio of 17, the glide angle (?) is calculated using the relationship, glide ratio= cot(?). The glide angle for the Boeing 747 is approximately 3.4 degrees.
It is crazy to think that based on the ratio quoted, a 767 at 30,000 ft could glide approximately 113 miles. That is an impressive distance. Especially when you consider that many people without much exposure to aviation seem to often believe an airliner will nose dive if all engine power is lost.
Without engine thrust, a 747-200 has a glide ratio of roughly 15:1, meaning it can glide forward 15 kilometres for every kilometre it drops. The flight crew quickly determined that the aircraft was capable of gliding for 23 minutes and covering 91 nautical miles (169 km) from its flight level of 37,000 feet (11,000 m).
The glide ratio of 17:1 means that for every 17 units the aircraft travels forward, it loses 1 unit of height. So if it's cruising at 40,000', it will travel (40000 feet x 17 feet = 680,000 feet) = 111.914 nautical miles using google convert. So that gives us a longest possible glide from 40,000 feet.
On average, the typical cruising speed of a large commercial aircraft, like a Boeing 747, is somewhere between 475 and 500 knots (roughly 575 mph). So what is the cruising speed of a 747? Depending on passenger load, the average cruise speed of a 747 is 490 nautical miles or Mach 0.85.
Flight 236 glided for nearly 75 miles. After gliding for nearly 75 miles or 121 kilometres, the plane touched down hard in Lajes, around 1,030 feet (310 m) past the runway threshold of runway 33, at a speed of around 200 knots at 06:45 UTC.
Conclusion. While it's very clear that a 747 cannot fly properly with the failure of three engines, we can see that a single functioning engine would at least extend the aircraft's distance and prolong its time in the air. Hopefully, this would buy enough time and distance for the 747 to reach a suitable landing spot.
Different airplanes have different maximum altitudes, depending on their construction. For example, the Airbus A320 has a maximum altitude of 39,000 feet (11,900m) and the Boeing 74745,000 feet (13,700m).
What speed does a Boeing 747 take off at? A fully loaded Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' on a normal long haul flight would take off at a speed of around 160 knots which is 184 mph. The calculated take-off speeds vary depending on environmental conditions, runway length and weight.
A Boeing 747 under standard conditions must be going 296kph (184 mph) to take off. Additionally, weather factors can affect the ground speed need for takeoff. For example, a headwind will reduce the ground speed needed.
All fixed-wing aircraft have some capability to glide with no engine power; that is, they do not fall straight down like a stone, but rather continue to glide moving horizontally while descending.
Tracking the 747 fleet from 1966 to 2023Fleet data from IBA Insight reveals 346 active Boeing 747 family aircraft in service worldwide as of 31 January 2023. Other prolific operators include UPS (41 aircraft) Cargolux (29 aircraft) and Lufthansa (27 aircraft).
Flying at a typical altitude of 36,000 feet (about seven miles), an aircraft that loses both engines will be able to travel for another 70 miles before reaching the ground.