Life span of the 757
05-09-2010, 04:38 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Dec 2008
Position: First Officer
Posts: 122
Life span of the 757
Hi,
So how long do you think the 757 will stay in operation. Because I'm just starting my flight training and really hoping it will still be around by the time I get to a major. It is just such an awesome plane!!
So how long do you think the 757 will stay in operation. Because I'm just starting my flight training and really hoping it will still be around by the time I get to a major. It is just such an awesome plane!!
05-09-2010, 04:47 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2009
Position: Hiding under the counter
Posts: 276
I've been told that the parents of the future pilots for the B52 have yet to be born...
Not exactly on topic, but there are many airframes that will probably outlast our careers. I'd guess that the 757/67 is one of them.
Not exactly on topic, but there are many airframes that will probably outlast our careers. I'd guess that the 757/67 is one of them.
05-10-2010, 03:59 PM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: 737 Left
Posts: 202
It's all about the cycles.
I'm willing to bet that your average 757 has had many more cycles on its airframe than that of a 50 year old B-52.
BTW - I'm with you. She's a beautiful airplane that I hope to see around for along time.
Thoughts?
I'm willing to bet that your average 757 has had many more cycles on its airframe than that of a 50 year old B-52.
BTW - I'm with you. She's a beautiful airplane that I hope to see around for along time.
Thoughts?
05-10-2010, 04:53 PM
#4
Moderate Moderator
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Curator at Static Display
Posts: 5,681
Design Life-Cycles
FlyHigh:
I did a paper on fatigue-life of airliners around 1989 for a Master's class. It was topical as an Aloha 737 and a United 747-200 both had major cabin failures where people flew out of the airplane(s), and yet both airplanes landed safely (although never flown again).
This was before the internet, so I can't remember where I got the data, but Boeing designs for two major fatigue factors: number of landings, and number of pressurization cycles.
Long-haul airplanes (747) were something on the order of 30,000 cycles. Short-haul (737, in the old days) was on the order of 60,000-80,000. Those are ballpark off the top of my cranium; don't hold me to them.
Interestingly, the number of hours was not a strict design factor. It is the reversal of stress that induces fatigue (I knew this as a mechanical engineer, but it was interesting to see that total airframe hours were not significant).
Boeing claimed at that time the airplanes could be flown indefinitely (beyond their design life) if the operator was willing to accept higher repair and maintenance costs.
So, just like the 727 and DC-3, the 757 will fly for a long time.
I did a paper on fatigue-life of airliners around 1989 for a Master's class. It was topical as an Aloha 737 and a United 747-200 both had major cabin failures where people flew out of the airplane(s), and yet both airplanes landed safely (although never flown again).
This was before the internet, so I can't remember where I got the data, but Boeing designs for two major fatigue factors: number of landings, and number of pressurization cycles.
Long-haul airplanes (747) were something on the order of 30,000 cycles. Short-haul (737, in the old days) was on the order of 60,000-80,000. Those are ballpark off the top of my cranium; don't hold me to them.
Interestingly, the number of hours was not a strict design factor. It is the reversal of stress that induces fatigue (I knew this as a mechanical engineer, but it was interesting to see that total airframe hours were not significant).
Boeing claimed at that time the airplanes could be flown indefinitely (beyond their design life) if the operator was willing to accept higher repair and maintenance costs.
So, just like the 727 and DC-3, the 757 will fly for a long time.
Last edited by UAL T38 Phlyer; 05-10-2010 at 05:06 PM.
05-10-2010, 06:46 PM
#5
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Posts: 58
FlyHigh:
I did a paper on fatigue-life of airliners around 1989 for a Master's class. It was topical as an Aloha 737 and a United 747-200 both had major cabin failures where people flew out of the airplane(s), and yet both airplanes landed safely (although never flown again).
This was before the internet, so I can't remember where I got the data, but Boeing designs for two major fatigue factors: number of landings, and number of pressurization cycles.
Long-haul airplanes (747) were something on the order of 30,000 cycles. Short-haul (737, in the old days) was on the order of 60,000-80,000. Those are ballpark off the top of my cranium; don't hold me to them.
Interestingly, the number of hours was not a strict design factor. It is the reversal of stress that induces fatigue (I knew this as a mechanical engineer, but it was interesting to see that total airframe hours were not significant).
Boeing claimed at that time the airplanes could be flown indefinitely (beyond their design life) if the operator was willing to accept higher repair and maintenance costs.
So, just like the 727 and DC-3, the 757 will fly for a long time.
I did a paper on fatigue-life of airliners around 1989 for a Master's class. It was topical as an Aloha 737 and a United 747-200 both had major cabin failures where people flew out of the airplane(s), and yet both airplanes landed safely (although never flown again).
This was before the internet, so I can't remember where I got the data, but Boeing designs for two major fatigue factors: number of landings, and number of pressurization cycles.
Long-haul airplanes (747) were something on the order of 30,000 cycles. Short-haul (737, in the old days) was on the order of 60,000-80,000. Those are ballpark off the top of my cranium; don't hold me to them.
Interestingly, the number of hours was not a strict design factor. It is the reversal of stress that induces fatigue (I knew this as a mechanical engineer, but it was interesting to see that total airframe hours were not significant).
Boeing claimed at that time the airplanes could be flown indefinitely (beyond their design life) if the operator was willing to accept higher repair and maintenance costs.
So, just like the 727 and DC-3, the 757 will fly for a long time.
http://fulltechservices.com/robb/tes..._lunchTues.pdf
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
