How long do airplanes last?
How long do commercial airplanes last?
Why do airlines have old aircraft?
Why do airplanes age out?
How many hours a day do you drive a commercial plane?
How many replacement engines are there in an airframe?
Why are smaller aircraft more dangerous?
See 2 more
About this website
How long does a 737 stay in service?
An aircraft should be operable for about 30 years before reaching the cycle limit. The lifetime can be stretched by special inspection and maintenance programs. It is however also worth noting that there are still some (unpressurized) aircraft manufactured 1940-1945 still in scheduled service.
What is the oldest plane still flying?
The oldest plane still flying in the world is the Bleriot XI. And it's not even close! Where generations of aircraft have been built and retired in its wake, the Bleriot XI, one of the first planes ever, built in 1909, still flies in Hudson Valley, New York.
How long do military planes last?
Modern fighter jets have typically been designed to withstand 8,000 total hours of flight time during their operational lifespan. With an average of 200 hours in the air each year, this means they are expected to continue delivering high performance in sorties and missions for somewhere between thirty and forty years.
How old is the average airplane?
While the average age of a U.S. domestic commercial airliner is 11 years old, it is not uncommon for aircraft to still be in service at 24, 25, even 30 years old.
What is the rarest plane?
There are the usual suspects: the Bleriot XI, the Boeing B-29, the Mitsubishi Zero, the Howard 500, the Cirrus VK30, the Lockheed PV-20 Harpoon, and the late Antonov An-225 Mriya. But for this list, we will take a look at other rare aircraft designs, including those military and experimental.
How do planes last so long?
So how have they lasted this long? Aluminum alloy. The kind of aluminum alloy used in airplanes is special, and is chosen for its lightweight qualities and relative strength. Because they are built to a much higher standard,and constantly maintained. ..and cost a lot more.
Who kills the most air to air?
Erich HartmannErich Hartmann, with 352 official kills the highest scoring fighter pilot of all time.
Where do retired planes go?
And when a jet is retired indefinitely, it is usually sent to an aircraft boneyard (or graveyard). Boneyards are often located in deserts as dry weather conditions help to limit corrosion. In these facilities, the valuable parts of an aircraft are removed for reuse or resale before the rest of it is scrapped.
Why do military planes have no seats?
Most military aircraft, NASA research aircraft and some small commercial airplanes are equipped with ejection seats to allow pilots to escape from damaged or malfunctioning airplanes.
How many miles does a plane engine last?
An airliner's lifecycle doesn't depend on how long it's flown for, but how often it's used. What is this? Based on that, the average commercial airliner can last between 60,000 to 150,000 flight hours. A commercial airliner would also have a maximum distance of 150 million miles under ideal conditions.
How long will a private jet last?
On average, business jets up to 25 years old may only have about 12,000 hours on them, and when they're well-maintained aircraft can easily last for 25,000 hours.
Who has the oldest fleet?
Allegiant Air -- average fleet age: 19.8 years According to Airfleets.net, Allegiant Air (NASDAQ: ALGT) operates the oldest airplane fleet of any major U.S. airline. Allegiant's fleet is so old that its most numerous airplanes are McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and -90s, which ceased production 17 years ago.
Are 707 still flying?
While the 707 is no longer used for commercial flights, a number of 707s and its variants remain operational in specific applications. Several national Air Force branches continue to fly 707s for transportation, refueling, and reconnaissance.
What is the oldest 747 still flying?
The oldest Queen of the Skies still used for passenger operations by a commercial airline is a 32 years old Boeing 747-400, which currently belongs to Mahan Airlines fleet, according to the Planespotters.com data. Originally, the wide-body aircraft was ordered by the American air carrier United Airlines.
What is the oldest jet still in service?
Top 12 Oldest Military Planes Still in ServiceHawker Siddeley HS 748 (1960)Northrop T-38 Talon (1959)Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (1959)Pilatus PC-6 Porter (1959)Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (1956)Lockheed U-2 (1955)Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (1955)Fokker F27 Friendship (1955)More items...
Are there any Boeing 720 still flying?
It was succeeded by the Boeing 727 trijet. The 720 is the only Boeing-designed jetliner that does not follow the "7x7" naming scheme....Boeing 720IntroductionJuly 5, 1960, with United AirlinesRetiredSeptember 29, 2010StatusRetiredPrimary usersUnited Airlines Western Airlines Eastern Air Lines Northwest Airlines9 more rows
Why is maintenance important in aviation?
Every Aircraft Needs Maintenance. Aviation maintenance is crucial for safety and making sure that aircraft are able to fly without any problems! In the United States, airlines and other commercial operations of large or turbine-powered aircraft adhere to a program approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
How does age affect aircraft?
Aging effects, such as wear, deterioration, and corrosion occur over time. If not managed, these effects can be a significant safety concern.
What is timed maintenance?
Timed Maintenance. The amount of flight hours makes a large difference in how often aircraft need maintenance. Many airlines and operators create their own plans of maintenance, which depends on the frequency a specific aircraft is in service. Aircraft have set checks at various intervals, often known as flight line maintenance checks ...
What are the different types of maintenance checks?
Aircraft have set checks at various intervals, often known as flight line maintenance checks and also four different types of higher-level maintenance: A, B, C, and the heaviest (D) checks. Line maintenance is the most frequent and often includes the most basic of inspections.
What are the factors that determine the frequency of an aircraft's maintenance?
Two major factors of the frequency of an aircraft’s need for servicing are flight hours and age. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that all aircraft are different and may require maintenance checks at different times than others.
How often do you need a D check?
For instance, D checks occur every 6-10 years depending on the aircraft’s usage and age. D checks are comprehensive inspections and repairs of the entire aircraft and can mean taking apart ...
When did the aging aircraft safety act start?
Congress passed the Aging Aircraft Safety Act, known as AASR, in 1991. It requires airlines to ensure that repairs or modifications made to their airplanes are damage-tolerant. As part of the requirement, airlines must have placed a damage-tolerance-based maintenance program in place by December 20, 2010.
How long do soldiers stay in the army?
They stay in service as long as they’re still combat effective.
Why is the air frame obsolete?
Sometimes the technology of the air frame is obsolete because of new innovations, like jet engines putting the P-51 to bed.
Why did the Brazilian Air Force retire the Mirage 2000?
The Brazilian Air Force operated their Mirage 2000 jets only for barely a decade, retiring those airframes just as the maintenance contract with Dassault was ending and because they hadn't upgraded it to a more modern spec carrying modern munitions and weapons, meaning by that time, the Mirages were superfluous with their locally upgraded F-5s, which were more modern but has short legs.
What type of aircraft did the Swedish Air Force use?
The Swedish Air Force, necked down it's forces after the Cold War by developing a single aircraft type (JAS-39 Gripen) to replace 2 types (J-35 Draken and the various Viggen versions). The last two are specialized aircraft and can't do multirole without much difficulty.
How long was the Hawk MK 53 in service?
After 34 years in service, all Hawk MK-53 jet trainers had been phased grounded and phased out and
What jet trainers were replaced by the T-50?
After 34 years in service, all Hawk MK-53 jet trainers had been phased grounded and phased out and replaced by T-50 Golden Eagle from South Korea.
When was the last B-52H made?
The last B-52H was produced in 1963 and is still flying and many KC-135 aircraft were produced in the late 1950’s……
How old is the average airliner?
While the average age of a U.S. domestic commercial airliner is 11 years old, it is not uncommon for aircraft to still be in service at 24, 25, even 30 years old. “Twenty-four is not terribly old for an aircraft,” Bill de Decker, chairman of Texas-based Conklin & de Decker Aviation, told TravelPulse this morning.
How old was the Germanwings plane?
All 150 on board are believed to have been killed. The aircraft in question was 24 years old and originally flown by Germanwings’ parent company, Lufthansa. Germanwings is a low-budget subsidiary of Lufthansa. While the average age of a U.S. domestic commercial airliner is 11 years old, it is not uncommon for aircraft to still be in service at 24, ...
Is it safe to fly an older plane?
Just like a car, the older an airplane gets the more maintenance it requires. Just like a car, however, given the proper care and maintenance an older plane can be just as safe and operable as a new version, albeit without some of the fuel efficient designs of new models.
How long can an aircraft be operated?
An aircraft should be operable for about 30 years before reaching the cycle limit. The lifetime can be stretched by special inspection and maintenance programs.
How many cycles does a long haul aircraft have?
For long haul aircraft, that make relatively few cycles, the design lifespan is in the order of 40 000 cycles. For short haul the number is higher, sometimes up to 111 000 cycles.
How many cycles does a Boeing 747 have?
For short haul the number is higher, sometimes up to 111 000 cycles. For example, the Boeing 747 has a design number of cycles of 35 000 , the MD-80 has 110 000.
Is it cheaper to retire an airplane?
In many cases the decision to retire an airframe is economical rather than just "it's old". Proper maintenance can extend an airplane's service life almost indefinitely but it gets more expensive with age/flying time/cycles.
Is it cheaper to buy a new plane?
Also, new airplanes are cheaper to operate. If buying a new plane saves the purchase price in fuel in 5 years (quite possible) then you get one. It will not need any major maintenance in that period, further reducing the total cost of ownership. For example, a 707 and 737 are comparable in terms of capacity and range, but a brand-new 737 at $ 90 million will cost a lot less over 5-10 years than a used 707 picked up for $ 1 million.
How long do airplanes last?
Generally, we would expect the life of an airliner to be roughly 30 years. This is a financial need really. Airliners are expensive and take a long time to earn back the cost of capital used to p
How long do commercial airplanes last?
Basically, they are taken out of service when it is cheaper to buy a new plane than it is to maintain the old airplane. Passenger aircraft can be up to 30 years, and possibly more. Cargo aircraft, which don’t need interior refreshes, can last longer!
Why do airlines have old aircraft?
Airliners have “old” aircraft because it the cost of airliners (tens of millions of dollars) takes a long time to be paid back in the form of profit. We buy houses with 15 and 30 year mortgages, airlines buy airplanes with similar debt.
Why do airplanes age out?
What really tends to age out an airliner is not its ability to stand the cycles of flying every day. It is the fuel economy of the engines that has tended to push people out of airliners over time. As newer, much more economic engines come online, older aircraft become far less attractive.
How many hours a day do you drive a commercial plane?
There’s a big difference in the usage patterns of commercial aircraft vs cars. Generally people only drive an average of about an hour a day (12,000 mi at an average of 40 mph). Commercial airliners have a much higher duty cycle, some make 6 flights a day, others fly one or two flight of several thousand miles. It's easy for them to be in operation 12 hours a day. Recreational aircraft OTOH, maybe get used on weekends averaging relatively low hours.
How many replacement engines are there in an airframe?
A given airframe may go through as many as 10 - 12 replacement engines in its lifetime.
Why are smaller aircraft more dangerous?
It might also be that smaller aircraft are more easily buffeted by adverse weather conditions. Smaller aircraft are often used for much shorter flights, which means proportionately more take-offs and landings, statistically the most dangerous part of flying. The very smallest aircraft in what’s called “general aviation” are inherently less safe including some with just a single engine. Instrumentation will also tend to be much less sophisticated with fewer pilot aids.
