Originally Posted by
skycubbie
Recently I flew coast to coast: westbound to SFO in the 737-800 and eastbound from SAN in the A-319. Once airborne I listened for the retraction of the landing gear and the subsequent sound signature as I'm intrigued by two differences between each aircraft. The A-319 has doors that entirely enclose the wheel wells whereas the 737 (regardless of model) has its tyres exposed to outside air, though they're fully retracted into the aeroplane's fuselage (not those within the aeroplane's nose, however, as these are fully enclosed by doors.) Is it just me or is the wheel well in-flight turbulence noticeable on the 737 versus the quieter slipstream sound of narrow-body Airbii?
Skycubbie
I think it's just you. Noise from air coming around the a/c is going to be more noticeable than anything else except perhaps if you are sitting right above the wheel well (and even then, you've got bags and fuel between you).