8 Surprising facts about the world of aviation

Why do planes have round windows? Why are wingtips bent? And why do passengers always exit on the left side of the aircraft?

Everything related to the world of aviation has been thought out to the smallest detail. This is possibly why planes represent the safest means of transport in the world. Okay, but after all, why was everything thought of in these ways?

O incredible.club gives the answers to the 8 most asked questions about airplanes.

In the early 1950s, the de Havilland company produced an airplane named the “Comet”. The aircraft was considered a true marvel of aviation. However, a year later, it fell to pieces while airborne. After a few months, something similar happened to 2 other planes.

Engineers analyzed each screw and found the problem. The reason for the catastrophe was the windows of the plane, which were square. The problem was that the corners of the windows represented a strong pressure, which was intensified during the flight. Experts solved the problem by rounding the corners of the windows. Thanks to this, it is now much safer to fly.

During flight, the pressure at the bottom of the plane is greater than that at the top. Therefore, the air tries to balance this relationship, going from the top to the bottom. And the simplest way to do this is by using the airplane’s wings. However, once it reaches the wingtips, the air tends to descend and create strong turbulence.

So experts decided to bend the tips upwards, eliminating the disruption of air flow. This reduced turbulence, increased wing durability, and saved some fuel usage. That is, thanks to this idea, called winglet, we do not travel shaking during the flight.

The tip of a military aircraft is pointed. And the more pointed, the more aerodynamic and faster the plane. But because of the long “nose”, the runway is not seen very clearly, which is why commercial passenger planes have a rounded nose.

British engineers solved this problem in 1969, creating one of the fastest passenger planes, whose “nose” could change inclination – the most classic example was the Concorde, the only supersonic commercial jet. During takeoff and landing, the tip is removed and replaced during flight in the initial position.

This extraordinary design is used for one reason only: thanks to it, during takeoff and landing, pilots can see the runway better.

There are a large number of white aircraft and this happens for a few reasons:

heat reflection🇧🇷 Painted white, the plane retains less heat. This is better for passengers and cost-effective for the airline.

White paint is cheaper. Painting planes white is much cheaper than painting any other color.

Avoid collisions with birds. Birds see the reflection of white surfaces very well, and they don’t hit planes.

In the white color, cracks and dented areas are easier to see. White elements are easier to identify in case of accidents. In addition, any damage to the plane becomes more evident.

Not on all, but on many models of aircraft, the main passenger entrance is on the left side. There are 3 versions that explain the fact:

Version 1. Luggage is loaded on the right side (luggage gates are on the left), so allowing passengers to board on the left would be unsafe. Version 2. It is assumed that aircraft inherited this from ships. Passengers enter through the ramp on the left side of the vessel. Version 3. Previously, the commander always sat on the left. The location of the passenger door is also on the left, giving him a better view and easier access to the passenger area.

Perhaps you’ve heard of a fighter plane called Nighthawk🇧🇷 It has a strange shape for a simple reason: it flies as the only intact object.🇧🇷 Thanks to this, it is possible to transport a large amount of luggage using less fuel.

The structure of the aircraft was inspired by birds. Birds of prey adopt a similar position to increase flight range and make themselves less visible.

However, the production of these types of planes is expensive, so they are not used in civil aviation.

In the design of planes, psychological tricks are used to make them appear larger and more spacious. For example, the walls have a special relief designed for the desired reflection of light. And lighting between the roof and the luggage area makes the ceiling appear taller. Thanks to these tricks, it’s easier for people with claustrophobia to travel by plane.

Everyone knows that smoking is prohibited on planes. But even new aircraft models have ashtrays, which are located in the bathroom cabin. This happens because, despite the prohibition, some flights last many hours, and smokers always want to find a way to satisfy their addiction. But even if you are a smoker, remember: smoking on board is punishable.

They don’t, but they soon will. At the most recent Aircraft Interiors Expo exhibition, an Italian company presented a model of seats for very low cost tariffs. In them, the person can fly standing up, paying 50% less on the ticket price.

It may seem uncomfortable, but if you need to fly less than 2 hours and don’t want to pay too much, standing seats can be very useful.