TIGHAR
Amelia Earhart Search Forum => General discussion => Topic started by: Randy Conrad on March 28, 2021, 04:18:11 PM
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Yesterday evening I received my Tighar journal in the mail. I have to say Ric that Chapter 6 is very much worth reading and gives so much insight into the makeup and design of the Electra. One of things that caught my eye was when you discussed how the individual that was with Amelia in the Vega had moved from the back of the plane to the front and caused the front of the plane to more the less nose dive and flip over. With that said, I was wondering what happens when you are flying, not an expert at fuel displacement, and you move more fuel from one side of the plane to another. Does the plane stay consistent without veering off to the left or right, nose dive, or etc. Same thing lets say that Amelia and Fred have completely run out of gas, and are they going to land completely perfect without any errors, or is something bound to happen with the amount of weight she has on the plane to begin with. In the past several articles in the Tighar journal and other research material we find her coming in too hot per say and overshooting her mark of landing, and or ground looping as so many have said in so many articles. I'm really interested in knowing where the most weight would be in all of these scenarios, and how displacement, and complete usage of the fuel tanks would change the course of landing. Anyway, just wandering!!!
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I was wondering what happens when you are flying, not an expert at fuel displacement, and you move more fuel from one side of the plane to another. Does the plane stay consistent without veering off to the left or right, nose dive, or etc.
Most airplanes have multiple fuel tanks, often in the wings. You have a selector in the cockpit that lets you choose which tank or tanks you want to use. If there is much more fuel on one side, the plane will want to tip that way, so you change tanks periodically. In some aircraft you can pump fuel from one tank to another to keep the load balanced.
Same thing lets say that Amelia and Fred have completely run out of gas, and are they going to land completely perfect without any errors, or is something bound to happen with the amount of weight she has on the plane to begin with.
If they are completely out of gas the airplane will land just fine, but the engines will be stopped so they have to get it right the first time.
We know they were not completely out of gas when they landed at Niku because theey had enough fuel left to run an engine to charge the battery and operate the radio.