Why do Airbus Jets Vibrate so Badly on Takeoff?
May 12, 2013, 9:07 am
#1
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Why do Airbus Jets Vibrate so Badly on Takeoff?
I have been wondering about this for some time, but flew from LAX-BWI last night on an Airbus 320 and experienced some of the worst vibration on liftoff that I can recall, which is what brought it to mind today. Why is that? Boeing and the old McDonnell Douglas jets don't seem to do it, so what makes Airbus jets different?
May 12, 2013, 10:02 am
#3
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_transfer_unit
(Many posts also here on FT about it, but that came up first.)
May 12, 2013, 10:33 am
#5
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Why do Airbus Jets Vibrate so Badly on Takeoff?
I've thought about the wheels as being the likely explanation. Does airbus design the retraction mechanism differently than Boeing where maybe the wheels are not stopped from spinning right away? Or is there some other reason?
May 12, 2013, 12:54 pm
#6
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It's the hydraulic system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_transfer_unit
(Many posts also here on FT about it, but that came up first.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_transfer_unit
(Many posts also here on FT about it, but that came up first.)
May 12, 2013, 1:13 pm
#7
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Dunno what makes them different but the vibration on take-off is due to the wheels vibrating as they are still spinning. The main wheels, like on Boeings etc..., are stopped from spinning by the brakes before they are pulled up into the wheel wells. Nose gear's, on all types, tend not to have braking.
May 12, 2013, 4:18 pm
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May 12, 2013, 4:54 pm
#9
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LAX-BWI is a longer flight on the A320/A319 type. It likely could have been pretty heavy with payload and fuel for the long flight. The higher weight means a higher takeoff speed and longer takeoff roll. The vibration can come from the needs to accelerate to a high takeoff speeds and felt more due to the longer takeoff roll.
Ive done many an Airbus flight in both the flight deck and in a passenger seat. It is not better or worse than any other aircraft in any metric. Like any aircraft, it has its quirks though.
Ive done many an Airbus flight in both the flight deck and in a passenger seat. It is not better or worse than any other aircraft in any metric. Like any aircraft, it has its quirks though.
May 12, 2013, 6:34 pm
#10
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LAX-BWI is a longer flight on the A320/A319 type. It likely could have been pretty heavy with payload and fuel for the long flight. The higher weight means a higher takeoff speed and longer takeoff roll. The vibration can come from the needs to accelerate to a high takeoff speeds and felt more due to the longer takeoff roll.
Ive done many an Airbus flight in both the flight deck and in a passenger seat. It is not better or worse than any other aircraft in any metric. Like any aircraft, it has its quirks though.
Ive done many an Airbus flight in both the flight deck and in a passenger seat. It is not better or worse than any other aircraft in any metric. Like any aircraft, it has its quirks though.
Apr 5, 2015, 8:28 pm
#12
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Apr 5, 2015, 9:58 pm
#14
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To be fair, the A380 is a newer, clean sheet design than just about everything Boeing builds besides the 787. It should have a quieter cabin and better cabin pressure than a late 80s era 747-400 or an early 80s era 767-300.
Apr 6, 2015, 1:36 am
#15
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I guess we all have our preferences and while admittedly I didn't experience the vibration on the a380 I much prefer to book the 777, I'm a sucker for the noise of those engines.