4 engined planes

[MargeB]

Do airlines habitually embark on transatlantic flights on 4 engined planes if one of the engines has just blown?

[SteveD]

This has been discussed at length in this thread:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Travel/Question95954.html

Have a look at Clanad's link.

[MargeB]

Question wasn't answered on that thread.
Any suggestions?

[Skids]

I doubt it is habitual as it doesn't happen often. If the engine had exploded then obviously it wouldn't be going anywhere as there wouldn't be much airplane left. If it has blown out and fails to restart then there is no problem in flying without it, depending on servicing schedules and the like. The throttle controls are merely set for three engine flight and they recalculate fuel consumption. Jumbo-jets (Boeing 747) can continue a flight with only one engine running.

[Dom Tuk]

Two points

If a 747 can fly optimally with 3 engines then they would not have 4 engines on them...never mind the transatlantic bit

There are flights from NY to UK on 757s which i believe have 2 engines. So the real question is not the trans atlantic jorney but what is the optimal flying parameter for the plane bearing in mind its load and size and for a Boeing 747 that should be 4 engines. the Plane was designed to fly with 4 but can also fly and land on 1 functioning engine but that is not how you are meant to fly with passengers in it.

[Skids]

No one said that 747s are meant to be flown with one engine, only that they can be if required to for whatever reason.

[MargeB]

Yeah but.
Thanks for the answers.
I'm really referring to that incident. On 3 2 or 1 you need to rudder so hard that you decrease fuel efficiency. This happened. In the end, they nearly ran out of fuel. 'Enough fuel' in my opinion, means enough to get you there plus some left over should sthg go wrong. Sthg went wrong and they maydayed. (LAX to LHR). Not happy with this at all.

[Skids]

You don't need to rudder so hard, you throttle back the two engines that are together so that their combined output matches that of the engine on its own. This makes for a slower journey but is more fuel efficient than ruddering to compensate. If that's what happened then something else besides a non-running engine must have caused a problem too.

[MargeB]

You're right, there was a fuel problem subsequent to the damaged engine. But that may have been because of the damage to the engine. All the MORE reason to put the ******* plane down and wait for a new one.

[Ray the DJ]

They can fly on one engine, but need four to get off the ground.

[Clanad]

Actually Ray the DJ, under very tightly controlled circumstances, i.e., minimum weight, NO passengers, required crew only, mission trained pilots, secured malfunctioning engine, a 4 engine aircraft can safely be taken off on 3 engines.  We regularly ferried DC-8's that had experienced problems with one engine, taking off on three engines, to a place where maintenance could be accomplished...

[MargeB]

Clanad, you mission trained pilot you. What planes did you fly?

ps. I notice you have an imposter out there, going by 'Cloned'. Which made me smile.