Where is the rudder on a 747?
The rudder is attached to the rear of the tail fin of a commercial jetliner and is used by the pilots to move the nose from side to side.
What was wrong with Northwest Flight 85?
The NTSB ruled that the probable cause was a “fatigue fracture of the lower rudder power control module manifold, which resulted in a lower rudder hardover.” In a rudder hardover, the rudder is driven to its full deflection and stays there.
What is rudder Hardover?
When the hydraulic rudder control of his aircraft was dismantled it was discovered it could force the rudder to go in the opposite direction than that commanded, then jam in that position, a situation known as a hardover.
How many 747 did Northwest Airlines have?
Pre-merger Northwest Airlines fleet
| Aircraft | In service | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| Total | ||
| Boeing 747-400 | 16 | 403 |
| Boeing 757-200 | 45 | 182 |
| Boeing 757-300 | 16 | 224 |
Why does the 747 have a split rudder?
This is called Split Rudder and it provides redundancy. They run on different systems so if one fails, the other one can be used. Split rudders also provide a finer high speed control, in that only the lower one moves at high speed, reducing the exposed surface area and therefore the control effect.
Can you fly a plane without rudder?
Without the rudder the aircraft can still be controlled using ailerons. The tail-plane helps provide stability and the elevator controls the ‘pitch’ of the aircraft (up and down). Without these the aircraft cannot be controlled. This shows that it is possible to land an aircraft without the normal flight controls.
When was the last Northwest flight?
On July 8, 1960, Northwest placed the Douglas DC-8 into service, offering the shortest flight times to East Asia, but within a year the airline was negotiating the sale of the five DC-8s. Northwest retired the last of its Boeing 377 Stratocruisers that September….Northwest Orient Airlines.
| Year | Pax-Miles |
|---|---|
| 1975 | 9471 |
Do planes have rudders?
The rudder is a primary flight control surface which controls rotation about the vertical axis of an aircraft. This movement is referred to as “yaw”. The rudder is a movable surface that is mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer or fin.
Why do some planes have 2 rudders?
Some fighter planes have two vertical stabilizers and rudders because of the need to control the plane with multiple, very powerful engines. You can view a short movie of “Orville and Wilbur Wright” explaining how the rudder was used to control the yaw of their aircraft.
Do pilots use the rudder in flight?
A pilot will use both aileron and rudder together to turn an aircraft during flight, with the ailerons imparting roll and the rudder imparting yaw. When landing in crosswinds, pilots will use the rudder and ailerons in opposite directions to keep the plane’s fuselage in line with the runway.
What does a rudder hardover on a 747 mean?
A rudder hardover is when the aircraft’s rudder deflects to its travel limit without crew input. The 747’s hardover gave full left lower rudder, requiring the pilots to use full right upper rudder and right aileron to maintain attitude and course.
What was the date of Northwest Airlines Flight 85?
Northwest Airlines Flight 85 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in the United States to Narita International Airport in Japan. On October 9, 2002, the Boeing 747-400 carrying out the flight experienced a lower rudder hardover event,…
What kind of plane was Northwest Airlines N661US?
The aircraft involved was the prototype Boeing 747-400 (Boeing 747-451, c/n 23719, reg N661US) and was built by Boeing for flight testing as N401PW, before subsequently being reregistered as N661US and delivered to Northwest Airlines (the launch customer for the 747-400) on December 8, 1989.
When did the Boeing 747 hardover over the Bering Sea?
On October 9, 2002, while over the Bering Sea, the Boeing 747-400 experienced a lower rudder hardover event, which occurs when an aircraft’s rudder deflects to its travel limit without crew input. The 747’s hardover gave full left lower rudder, requiring the pilots to use full right upper rudder and right aileron to maintain attitude and course.