2 ms·
Planes are made heavy, for the same reasons as trains: safety enhancement and cost reduction. Ever notice how every wheelie cart on a plane has not one but two
by jzwinck 11y ago
Planes are made heavy, for the same reasons as trains: safety enhancement and cost reduction.
Ever notice how every wheelie cart on a plane has not one but two locking handles to secure it? How about the ram air turbine [1] which is used almost never but weighs hundreds of pounds? Seat frames are still made mostly of metal, whereas if weight were the only consideration they would probably be carbon fiber.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_air_turbine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_air_turbine
- etep 11y agoYes, I would not dispute your statement, but that does not contradict the fact that airframe weight is minimized to increase efficiency. I did notice the seats were mostly metal, but I also noticed their (essentially) honeycombed design: they are mostly the rigid frame, rather than solid metal. I'm sure if they could reasonably remove the ram air turbine, they absolutely would (both for cost and efficiency).