3 ms·
Very cool. Interested in the design requirements which made 36 small jets better suited to the task than two larger jets.
by et2o 7y ago
Very cool. Interested in the design requirements which made 36 small jets better suited to the task than two larger jets.
- throwaway55554 7y agoMy lay person take is they're using what is basically an EDF, you spin the impeller at high speeds sucking air in and ramming it out the back that is a lower diameter than the front. Surely many smaller engines would be safer than a couple of larger ones at those speeds. Also, maybe they found out it was more efficient to use many smaller ones.
- emiliobumachar 7y agoI'm an outsider, but it's probably about failure tolerance. A twin engine has to be able to fly with one engine in case the other fails. 36 engines means with three engine failures you still have over 90% of power.
- pjc50 7y agoProbably related to the nacelle-less design of having the engines fully inside the wings.