chichow

Ok. Call me chicken. I just don't want to go over to Airliners.net. It scares me over there.

But sometimes I have questions that are about planes, etc. but are still related to the passenger experience.

For example, I liked flying NWA's A320's and it seemed like the engines were more powerful than UA's A320's. Where would be the appropriate place to ask such a question on FT (if there is a proper forum).

Thanks

WHBM

You would be right. Northwest has the CFM 56-5A3 engine, built jointly by GE in the USA and Snecma in France, rated at 26,500 lb thrust.

United has the IAE V2500-A5, also built jontly by Pratt & Whitney in the US and Rolls Royce in the UK, rated at 22,000 lb thrust.

The amount of thrust actually used, however, depends on the airline's operating procedure. Airlines nowadays do not normally just gun the throttle at the end of the runway but use a procedure called "flexible thrust" which calculates how little power to use, given the weight of the aircraft and the runway length, to lift off about 75% of the way down the runway. If it doesn't behave as predicted then the computer goes for full power. It saves a lot on engine maintenance costs. So you'll use a much higher power takeoff setting say out of Albuquerque (high, need to clear terrain) than out of JFK (long runway, sea level).

The A320 is, simplistically, so overpowered normally that the airlines' procedures are the dominant thing.

The two engines also have notably different noise frequencies, particularly on takeoff and climbout, so that may be what you are noticing as well.

cawhite

Don't be intimidated over there. I've learned a lot there in addition to what my airline pals have taught me. It's a community, similar in some ways to FT and once people get to know you they do open up. There are also FF related questions, etc & I've directed several people there to FT. There are also some awesome FTers who post over there under the same or different handles as FT.
Cheryl (aka ORDINDUAFlyer on a.net)