Newton's
Second Law and Motion
The Boeing 767 Problem
The long-range Boeing 767 wide body jet first flew in September
1981. It is a twin-engine jet that
carries up to 290 passengers. The
advantage of this jet to major airlines is that it uses 30% less
fuel than comparable jets, and its takeoff performance allows
airlines to serve the heavily traveled domestic routes.
An added benefit related to its fuel savings is that it
is capable of longer non-stop flights, such as those across the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its range
is approximately 11400 km, a distance one-fourth around the world.
The
jet is built with a maximum take-off weight of 186,000 kg, including
the fuel capacity of 91000 L (24000 gal), equivalent to 64000
kg. It's maximum cruising speed is
266 m/s (0.80 Mach) at 11,000 m (35,000 ft). The minimum take-off
speed (Vr) is 200 km/hr. The
767 is powered by two Rolls Royce RB211-514G/H jet engines.
Each engine has a thrust of 270,000 N.
The coefficient of rolling friction is 0.016.
Last
year on the fully loaded American Airlines Flight 569 out of Miami
International over the Atlantic Ocean, Captain Ray Action noticed
a low-fuel indicator light. Fearing
for his passengers' safety, an emergency landing was arranged
on a small island near Bermuda. Captain
Action set the jet down on a runway with a length of 610 m.
The
problem was traced to a faulty low-fuel indicator light.
The jet, in fact, had plenty of fuel to continue its journey.
Captain Action was now faced with the decision to take
off from this runway with the $110 million jet.
He sought out anyone on the jet who had physics and asked
you to share in the decision of whether to take off or
not.
Given the above information, calculate and prove your decision for Captain Action. Make any suggestions that will allow the jet to safely get back into the air. Show all work and units.