Here's Why Airplanes Have Engines On The Wings Or On The Tail

https://jalopnik.com/heres-why-airpl...5627#spbg4pc71

I’ve seen normally friendly and warm Jalopnik writers come to clumsy,
ineffective blows over the concept of car engine location. I came this close to
poisoning another writer’s coffee after I heard them say something disparaging
about rear engines, for example. It seems that the world of airplanes has some
similar issues! There’s two major places airliners place their engines, and this
video is one of the best explainers of why.

The two most common places for airliners to mount jet engines are under the
wings or at the rear of the aircraft. I’m sure anyone who’s been to an airport
has noticed this. The tradeoffs for each location are pretty fascinating, and,
while this video by Mentour Pilot is pretty long, it’s very informative. Here,
watch:

https://youtu.be/QqjZSHIKWzE

In case you’re seconds away from buying your first airliner and don’t have time
to watch the video, here’s a quick pro/con breakdown of the two types:

Wing Mount

Pro: Much easier engine access for service, can mount more and/or bigger
engines, less structural reinforcing needed, shorter fuel lines, safer in case
of engine fire

Con: High noise levels, susceptible to ground/foreign objects/debris damage,
requires larger rudder (in case one engine is lost)

Rear Mount

Pro: Quieter operation (from inside cabin), less likely to take in
debris/foreign objects, more suitable to more kinds of runways/airstrips, can
reverse aircraft on ground

Con: Harder to access for maintenance, requires more structural support and
longer fuel lines, more dangerous in case of fire

There’s more in the video, of course, including much more detail about handling
characteristics of each type of engine mounting.

It’s really interesting! Hearing a pilot talk about how planes handle makes
aviation much more familiar to us ground-based gearheads.




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