If you get pushed from one side only, doesnt that mean the plane can only go to the opposite lane? Or cicrling
In: 2
Assuming the plane has one engine on each wing, flying on one engine means all your thrust is coming from one side. This does indeed make the plane want to fly around in circles. If the plane is designed for one engine flying, then it has been designed with large enough flaps and rudders that they can counteract the uneven force of having one engine running and still be landed safely. Basically the plane wants to drift to one side, but you steer the plane in the opposite direction to cancel out that force. The plane doesn’t fly “like normal” in this situation, it is less maneuverable or stable than normal, but still flyable by a qualified pilot.
Two engine commercial airplanes in the USA are given an ETOPS score, which is the maximum amount of time an airplane can be flown with one engine. An ETOPS score of 120 means 120 minutes (2 hours) on a single engine at maximum. An ETOPS 120 airplane can only fly routes where it never gets more than 120 minutes from an airport where it can make an emergency landing.
This is one of the reasons why three and four engine aircraft have remained common on longer routes, even though they are less efficient than two engine planes. A plane with 3 or 4 engines can more easily afford to lose an engine in flight and continue flying a long distance (such as over an ocean) where an emergency landing isn’t possible.
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