Baldacci: his added weight

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Marius Hancu - 28 Sep 2010 10:15 GMT

Hello:

Could the added weight of a person in the cargo hold create problems
for a 737? Is this believable?

---
[Sneaks in on the tarmac, then:]

He slipped into the cargo hold and inserted himself into his hiding
place. He’d already picked it by studying interior cargo schematics of
the 737 series, which were readily available if one knew where to
look, and Finn clearly did. He’d also learned from open source
research on the Internet that this plane was only going to be half
full so his added weight in the rear would not be an issue.

David Baldacci, Stone Cold
---
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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the Omrud - 28 Sep 2010 10:25 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> research on the Internet that this plane was only going to be half
> full so his added weight in the rear would not be an issue.

Pilots know the position of passengers and luggage from front to back -
if you move to a seat in a different part of the plane, this can cause
some sort of change in the plane's behaviour. However, I can't see that
a single person would make any noticeable difference.

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David

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Peter Moylan - 29 Sep 2010 00:55 GMT

>> Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> if you move to a seat in a different part of the plane, this can cause
> some sort of change in the plane's behaviour.

This is why fat people aren't allowed to go to the toilet.

> However, I can't see that
> a single person would make any noticeable difference.

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Peter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org
For an e-mail address, see my web page.

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shiva das - 29 Sep 2010 01:55 GMT

> >> Hello:
> >>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> > However, I can't see that
> > a single person would make any noticeable difference.

I would guess that it might affect the projected fuel consumption. But a
single adult weighing 200 lbs. / 90.7 kg isn't going to have much of an
impact -- the maximum take-off weight of a 737-100 is 111,000 lb /
50,300 kg, and the stowaway would only add 0.18% to the total weight.

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Horace LaBadie - 28 Sep 2010 13:03 GMT

In article
<1bbc3186-7864-4d69-a85e-4f3e2dd01392@a9g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>,

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

Unlikely. Every year there are reports of people stowing away in the
wheel wells of planes, and they never cause any change in the
performance of the aircraft. They are only found after the planes land.

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Peter Duncanson (BrE) - 28 Sep 2010 13:16 GMT

>In article
><1bbc3186-7864-4d69-a85e-4f3e2dd01392@a9g2000yqg.googlegroups.com>,
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>wheel wells of planes, and they never cause any change in the
>performance of the aircraft. They are only found after the planes land.

Yes. Looking at the quoted weights for the 737 series planes I don't see
that the extra weight of, say, a 200 pound man would make any noticeable
difference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737#Specifications

For the 737-100:

Operating empty weight, typical 62,000 lb (28,100 kg)
Maximum take-off weight (MTOW) 111,000 lb (50,300 kg)

200 lb is less than 0.2% of MTOW.

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Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

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Don Phillipson - 28 Sep 2010 13:27 GMT

> He slipped into the cargo hold and inserted himself into his hiding
> place. He’d already picked it by studying interior cargo schematics of
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Could the added weight of a person in the cargo hold create problems
> for a 737? Is this believable?

The author's mechanics is weak. Not the weight of a stowaway but
the moment (leverage, i.e. mass times distance from the centre of
gravity) is what the pilot may or may not notice as contrary to
calculations before takeoff. (Airline crews recalculate the position
of an aircraft's centre of gravity anew for every flight, applying
standard formulae to the passenger and baggage load. They do
not need to get the CG correct to an inch -- just to ensure it falls
within approved limits to enable normal operation.)

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Lewis - 28 Sep 2010 15:52 GMT

> Hello:

> Could the added weight of a person in the cargo hold create problems
> for a 737? Is this believable?

I don't think so.

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Man is born free, but is everywhere in chains.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / September 2010

Baldacci: his added weight