Airbus Sounds

[Milesar]

Whats up with the clickey-clackety like sounds of the turbines when they are free spinning in the wind? I walk by them often and hear what could be compared to the sound of little colorful ornaments on bicycle spokes.

[Doug Taylor]

Probably a few hundred unlubricated pieces moving around in the wind. Accessory gear boxes, gears, rotors, etc.

And you know, it's all ball bearings.

[CirrusMonkey]

Originally Posted by ILSstud

.....a visual aid :-)http://youtube.com/watch?v=grd5eJjJcL4

Man, I am glad that you found that video. I was trying to figure out how I was going to make that sound effect using my laptop keyboard!

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by UPSpilot

Airbus planes don't have an engine failure checklist. They have an engine capitulation checklist.

Captain: Engine Failure!

FO: Standby....uhh, I agree, I've got the checklist, oh, CTRL-ALT-Delete

Captain: Tried that, next item.

FO: Maginot Line?

Captain: Breached

FO: Paris?

Captain: Evacuated.

FO: America?

Captain: Called.

FO: Checklist complete.

Captain: Ok, Center, AirFrance 3402, M'aidez, er... Mayday, mayday mayday.

[ILSstud]

Originally Posted by ppragman

Captain: Engine Failure!

FO: Standby....uhh, I agree, I've got the checklist, oh, CTRL-ALT-Delete

Captain: Tried that, next item.

FO: Maginot Line?

Captain: Breached

FO: Paris?

Captain: Evacuated.

FO: America?

Captain: Called.

FO: Checklist complete.

Captain: Ok, Center, AirFrance 3402, M'aidez, er... Mayday, mayday mayday.

Don't forget the EICAM blue screen of death...thanks for playing game over

[Polar742]

Originally Posted by Milesar

Whats up with the clickey-clackety like sounds of the turbines when they are free spinning in the wind? I walk by them often and hear what could be compared to the sound of little colorful ornaments on bicycle spokes.

It's the fan blades. When they're mounted they have some play in them. I don't know anything more than that.

[BigGuyFlying]

Haha, I remember my first day on the ramp. The A320 came in, and I went to go open the aft cargo door and I heard the hyrdaulics going... I seriously at first thought that there was a dog inside of the bin, and when I got in, I was actually looking for it!

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by ILSstud

Don't forget the EICAM blue screen of death...thanks for playing game over

you're right, maybe its just me, but I just don't trust electronic ####, and I'm a pretty technical guy....hmmmm

[ILSstud]

I am an aerospace engineer and a pilot and I still don't trust paying bills online or calculations being done on a computer (I am the guy that triple checks by hand because of his OCD)...Hey remember that Air France 320 that crashed into the trees at the airshow during it's debut?.........'nuff said.

[Speed Pilot]

I went to college with a buddy that was a computer engineer. He got the chance for one of their projects to work with Airbus on their computer code. After three months on that project they fixed the bug they were given to fix but he has refused to set foot on an airbus ever since he saw their computers and the code that runs them. He honestly freaks out when he travels and ends up being rebooked on an airbus for maintenance issues.

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by ILSstud

I am an aerospace engineer and a pilot and I still don't trust paying bills online or calculations being done on a computer (I am the guy that triple checks by hand because of his OCD)...Hey remember that Air France 320 that crashed into the trees at the airshow during it's debut?.........'nuff said.

You're right ya know, the worst thing about is not the sounds, the crappy seats, or anything else other than the fact that its too digital, when flying is still a very analog thing. There's kinda a similar debate going on in general about the new g1000s, technical - yes, cool - yes, a good idea right now - well that's debatable. I think that initially, and maybe still in some cases right now, airbus got ahead of itself in the design phase, and tried to take the pilot (the one wild card in any calculation) out of the equation. Its a different design philosophy, is it bad? who knows yet, but I will never fly an airbus, I gaurantee that.

[ILSstud]

I just don't know if I would feel comfortable actually flying the Airbus too. Not to sound like an airliners.net 14 yr old but a friend of mine who flies them in Europe told me that the logic on the flight control software takes a bit of getting used to. It doesn't sound intuitive. For example, if you want to bank, you input the bank command on the side stick and then neutralize the control; the airplane will stay in the bank until commanded otherwise. Or if a gust of wind picks up a wing you don't apply opposite aileron or else you will start over-controlling the plane as the software corrects the perturbation itself.

All I can think of is.... "I am sorry Dave, I cannot do that right now.........HAL open the pod bay doors"....and that is my nerd moment for the day!

[ppragman]

Originally Posted by ILSstud

I just don't know if I would feel comfortable actually flying the Airbus too. Not to sound like an airliners.net 14 yr old but a friend of mine who flies them in Europe told me that the logic on the flight control software takes a bit of getting used to. It doesn't sound intuitive. For example, if you want to bank, you input the bank command on the side stick and then neutralize the control; the airplane will stay in the bank until commanded otherwise. Or if a gust of wind picks up a wing you don't apply opposite aileron or else you will start over-controlling the plane as the software corrects the perturbation itself.

All I can think of is.... "I am sorry Dave, I cannot do that right now.........HAL open the pod bay doors"....and that is my nerd moment for the day!

[ILSstud]

Yup! Just like that!

[Polar742]

I thought it might be relevant that the Airbus airshow crash was caused by a pilot flying the airplane in a manner it wasn't meant to be flown. On purpose. Any of ya'll remember when the 737's were doing snap rolls due to uncommanded rudder movement?

Airbus v. Boeing. Glass v. Steam. FBW v. Cables. It all works, it's all safe, but some each has their own nuances, weaknesses and faults.

Airbus has a nosewheel issue issue. One oil drill bit improperly secured in it's shipping container came 3 inches from killing all 4 hyd systems on the airplane. Dumb luck saved the plane and crew. An engineering mistake put all 4 hydraulic systems in a vulnerable place.

Boeing glass will rat you out just as quick as Bus glass. But that saved one of our crews on the -400 from going over the pond with an engine that needed replaced. Enroute, the airplane sent Boeing data, boeing called the company, who diverted the flight and replaced the motor.

FBW works. Has worked and will continue to work. There will be issues, just as control cables get streteched, and mechanical systems become misrigged.

m $.02