What is the hole on the tail of a 747 for?

auxiliary power unit
The hole is the vent for the exhaust from the auxiliary power unit (APU), a small turbine that sits in the tail cone. That’s the vent for the exhaust from the auxiliary power unit (APU), a small turbine that sits in the tail cone.

Why the APU is located at the tail section?

Having the APU in the tail places it as far away from the cabin and fuel tanks as possible, and being outside the pressure vessel makes it easier to isolate from those areas. Having the exhaust exit the tail prevents it from interfering with any other parts of the airplane.

What is the thing at the back of a plane?

To control and maneuver the aircraft, smaller wings are located at the tail of the plane. The tail usually has a fixed horizontal piece, called the horizontal stabilizer, and a fixed vertical piece, called the vertical stabilizer.

What is an APU on a plane?

Description. An Auxiliary Power Unit or APU allows an aircraft to operate autonomously without reliance on ground support equipment such as a ground power unit, an external air-conditioning unit or a high pressure air start cart.

Why do planes have a hole in the back?

The small hole you see on the back of airplane tails is part of the auxiliary power unit. Like other auxiliary power units, it’s designed to produce power for airplanes. Once the airplane’s engines are turned on, the auxiliary power unit is disabled. It’s only reactivated when the airplane lands at its destination.

Can you fly without APU?

Yes, you can operate without an APU. The general process of a non-APU flight is keeping ground power and ground air conditioning hooked up to the airplane for pre-flight activity and boarding.

Where is the APU on a 737?

tail
For Boeing B737 and B747 aircraft, the APU is located inside a compartment in the tail section of the aircraft and is completely enclosed by a sound-reduction fire-proof titanium shroud.

What does the elevator do on a plane?

The elevator is used to control the position of the nose of the aircraft and the angle of attack of the wing. Changing the inclination of the wing to the local flight path changes the amount of lift which the wing generates.

What is the hole on the back of Jets?

The small hole you see on the back of airplane tails is part of the auxiliary power unit. Like other auxiliary power units, it’s designed to produce power for airplanes. With that said, it doesn’t actually help airplanes produce propulsion.

Does 777 have APU?

Honeywell takes control of the Boeing 777 with complete flight management and navigation on board complementing an already wide breadth of products including the APU, electric power, lighting, displays and more. …

Why is it necessary to use tripod jacking on an aircraft while it is on the ground?

Tripod jacks should be used for routine maintenance on both the nose and fuselage of the aircraft. This type of jack is typically reserved for raising the nose, wing or tail of an aircraft and is used by manually operating the hydraulic pump to raise the cylinder and ram.

Why is the fuel tank in the tail of an aircraft?

“Having it up in the tail and away from all the ground staff who are working on the aircraft is helpful,” Plumb said. “Also, the space closer to the engines is better used for fuel tanks in the wing area of the aircraft and for cargo and baggage storage in the belly.

What is that weird hole in the tail of a plane?

You may have noticed a strange phenomenon when looking at the rear of aircraft parked at the gate: they’re venting out exhaust from a little hole in the tail. Through that hole is the Auxiliary Power Unit — the little engine that could.

What is the 787 Dreamliner Apu exhaust?

Boeing 787 Dreamliner APU exhaust. Image courtesy of British Airways, modified by the author. The APU is a turbine engine that sits in the tail of the aircraft. It provides no thrust. Like any jet engine, it takes in air, compresses it, adds a fuel mixture and ignites it.