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Post by Dave.K on Feb 16, 2012 19:45:13 GMT 12
This week I have been working at Lake Hayes Estate on the approach to Queenstown. A couple of days it was a bit foggy and drizzly, when a 737 flew by with gear and flaps down it produced vorticies off the flap corners, the A320 a few minutes later just flew by with no vorticies at all. This happened a few times with the aircraft approaching within a few minutes of each other.
Does the 737 have a higher wing loading or is the A320 configured better for slow flying?
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Post by nuuumannn on Feb 17, 2012 0:31:18 GMT 12
Hi Dave.k, vorticies are not dependant on speed and occur regardless of what speed the aircraft is doing, the fact that they are visible in certain conditions is because of the weather. At the tips of the A320's wings are winglets that diffuse (for want of a better expression) the airflow, reducing the production of vortices.
They occur as a result of the boundary layer of air under the bottom of the wing moving toward the tip and up into a low pressure area above the tip, thus causing a curling, circular 'tube' of low pressure air. They are associated with induced drag, a by-product of lift.
737NGs have winglets that are considerably larger than current A320s, although the A320 Neo is going to be fitted with 'Sharklets', similar in appearance to the 737NGs' tips.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Feb 17, 2012 8:19:21 GMT 12
I flew back from Wellington on Wednesday on one of Air NZ's new black A320s. Much more pleasant for the passenger than the 737, at least aesthetically.
As an aside, security seems to be rather touchy lately, the metal detector frame goes off for a belt buckle and watch which it never used to. Then a minute of spread 'em with the shoe horn scanner and proving your belt buckle isn't a bomb. This, after having asked the security people if the watch etc was okay to wear through the frame.
Don, while I was waiting for my flight and watching amused as others passed through, did I spy you getting the same treatment at Gate 16/17?
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 17, 2012 9:06:16 GMT 12
As an aside, security seems to be rather touchy lately, the metal detector frame goes off for a belt buckle and watch which it never used to. Then a minute of spread 'em with the shoe horn scanner and proving your belt buckle isn't a bomb. This, after having asked the security people if the watch etc was okay to wear through the frame. When going to Wanaka in 2010, the titanium pin in my leg set off one metal detector I went through, but not the other. The couple of times since then, it has always gone off (although the most recent time it may have been just the wire-brimmed hat). The hand scanner always finds the pin, as you would expect. |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Feb 17, 2012 9:27:41 GMT 12
Don, while I was waiting for my flight and watching amused as others passed through, did I spy you getting the same treatment at Gate 16/17? Yep that was me on Wednesday heading back to Chch and I was thinking the same thing about the sensitivity of the scanner! I had flown out of Chch twice in the preceeding days and it never went off, but that one in Wellington sure went off. The silly thing is the day before I also flew out of Wellington on an ATR and there is no screening for them!  |
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Post by flyjoe180 on Feb 17, 2012 15:54:54 GMT 12
Yeah it's a bit random, sometimes it goes off, other times you walk on through. Agree about the turboprop screening scenario. The only hijacking in NZ in recent years has been on a 19 seat turboprop. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed your free scan Don. I enjoyed mine.
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