Recently my colleague was on a flight and the engine caught fire. They had to return and luckily everything ended well. This led to a discussion about engine failures.
On TV (Aircrash investigations) I once heard that some aircraft, in case of emergency, have a kind of “mini-helicopter screw” so that they hover and continue their flight.
Is this true ?
Thanks in advance.
Answer
I am not aware of such aircraft. Theoretically possible, but the infrastructure to run a helicopter propeller is much more complex than the wings of an airplane, so who would do it?
In case of emergency? An airplane hovers, like a glider, even without an engine. So I would provide a “horizontal” backup engine (a propeller, or jet or solid fuel rocket).
Many small aircraft, especially microlights, have an integral parachute: in an emergency the parachute is pulled open and the entire aircraft, including the passengers, hangs from it.
Answered by
Engineer Bart Dierickx
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