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6 Interesting Things That You Probably Never Knew About Airplanes
Apart from the fact that flying is the safest means of transportation , there are some “secrets” about airplanes that most people don’t know .
There are some things that even the most frequent flyer are unaware of.
In this article, we will highlight some of them. Now, lets dive right in .
1.The Shape Of The Windows
Those nicely curved windows you see are not just there for beauty. They are built that way to balance pressure .A typical square or rectangular window cannot hold such pressure created at high speeds because of the sharp corners (the weakest points). That is why the edges of an airplane windows are curved so it evenly spreads pressure across the entire area of the window.
2.Flying On Half Empty Tank
Most people think airplanes fill up their tanks to the brim before taking off, this is not always the case.
Lets break it down. Airplanes are very heavy , when you include the weight of all the people and their bags, that is extra weight , hence the fuel consumption would increase .
So what most airlines do is fill up the exact amount they would need to travel to their destination , hence reducing the weight . Logically, that would reduce the fuel consumption.
3.Engine Failure
When one of the planes engine fails , all hope is not lost , it can still fly safely on the other engine for some time .What if the two engines fail ?, don’t worry you are still safe.
Planes have 1/10 lift to drag ratio, this means for every 10 km it travels forward it would loose 1km in height .If we do the calculation, this also means if you are about 6km up in the air , the plane can safely travel another 60km before it lands in a nearby airport .In reality, normal plane cruising height is about 10km in the air , so that gives you approx. 100km of safe flying when the engine fails .
4.Ash Trays In The Toilet
Everyone is warned and common sense tells you its dangerous to smoke on a plane,but planes still have ash trays anyway .
This is so because, not everybody would stick to not smoking , out of stubbornness or just being tired of life .So they are placed there because its better for it to be in the ash tray than being in the waste bin.
In summary no matter how much they try to prevent people from smoking , some people would still do it anyway , so its better to be safe than sorry .
5.Lightning Strikes
Planes are built to withstand lighting strikes , so don’t worry you are safe .The fuel tank is also built with extra reinforcement to protect it .
6.Incomplete Seat Numbers /Rows
Most airplanes don’t have row 13 and row 17, number 13 and 17 (in some countries) is considered an unlucky number.
So they jump from number 12 to 14 , because of superstitious people , who think their village people are flying beside the plane .
