stupid question....about 3 holers

[darrenvox]

i have loved 3 holers for many years since i was young...the 727 being one of the best of these and of course the L-1011.The thing that debunks me is that between the intake of the 3rd engine and the reverser the air goes through the tail....is there a chute that directs air into the engine or is the air sucked into the tail somehow im just wondering how the tail survies the air being sucked into it if the engine is inside...

i understand this is such a stipid question and its probably an easy answer...

thanks in advance

[Curtis Malone]

I suppose you could call it a chute, but the manufacturers call it the S-duct. It does what you describe.

[darrenvox]

thanks curtis...thats all the info i need!!!

just in case anyones asking about this topic heres an pic i found on flightsim.

http://www.flightsim.com/feature/l1011-1/CutAwayMod.jpg

[11Fan]

Just a minor point darren, since you have expressed an interest. On a three engine aircraft, the engine in the tail (as you put it) is the Number 2 engine. Think port to starboard. 1, 2, 3.

And there's no stupid questions. Glad you asked. And don't forget the other three-holers out there; the DC-10 and MD-11.

Cheers.

[Highkeas]

........... And don't forget the other three-holers out there; the DC-10 and MD-11.
..........

Other three-holers include the Trident, TU-154, Falcon, and YAK-40.
There is also an MD-10 aircraft that FedEx acquired (upgraded DC-10).

[darrenvox]

thanks guys!!

[3WE]

I think we've blown off the fact that there's a little bit of engineering that helps the aerodynamic forces on the tail work themselves around an S-duct or the straight-through DC-10.

And that "little bit" might be a little bit of an understatement.

I too miss the three-holers.

[Gabriel]

[WILCO737]

three- holers are the best

[darrenvox]

i agree guys!! speaking of dc-10's what was the last airline of any airline that offered passenger service on the DC-10's??

[pilotgolfer]

I think Biman may still be operating theirs. Other than that, I'm pretty sure it's just OAI on charters and of the like. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure other DC-10s are just hauling cargo now.

[darrenvox]

ah thanks....nice avatar btw!!

seems KLM is still using theirs...

[ced ampo]

ah thanks....nice avatar btw!!

seems KLM is still using theirs...

KLM uses the MD-11, not the DC-10

[darrenvox]

i stand corrected...so all dc-10s except for biman are all MD-11's...i can never tell the diff

[Jerrycobra Boeing]

i stand corrected...so all dc-10s except for biman are all MD-11's...i can never tell the diff

md-11s are fairly easy to spot out, the key thing to look for is the wingtip, md-11s have winglets, dc-10s do not, and a less obvious key is md-11s are longer