《知識》客機可以像汽車一樣自己倒車嗎? Can an airplane back up like a car?


客機滑行的動力跟汽車原理不同。客機在地面上滑行主要靠引擎產生推力,因此並沒有像汽車一樣有排檔設計。客機從登機門後退移動,並不是自己倒車,而是前方有一台拖車在推動

理論上,現代客機都具備反推力裝置,可以讓引擎產生反向的推力來倒車。但是使用反推力裝置會產生強大的氣流。如果在停機坪使用,可能會對機場設備和地勤人員造成危險。因此反推力裝置主要用在飛機降落後減速,並非拿來倒車用。延伸閱讀:《知識》客機是如何煞車的?

不過,未來在機場上或許有機會看到客機自己後推或是轉向。WheelTug是一家專門研發飛機電動滑行系統的公司,透過安裝在飛機鼻輪的特殊馬達,並由APU提供動力,讓飛機能自己向前/向後滑行,甚至是360度迴轉,無需使用拖車。延伸閱讀:《知識》飛機的輔助動力系統APU (Auxiliary Power Unit)

WheelTug可以幫助飛機節省在地面上的作業時間。除了不用等待拖車後推,還可以減少連接和斷開拖車的時間。另一個好處是省油,因為飛機滑行只會使用到APU,可以讓機場運營更加環保,減少了滑行時引擎產生的噪音。WheelTug目前仍在認證階段,要在全世界機場普及,還有一段很長的路要走。


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Can an airplane back up like a car?

Airplanes cannot back up like cars. While they have reverse thrust devices that can generate reverse thrust from the engines, these devices are not used for backing up because they generate strong airflow that could pose a danger to airport equipment and ground personnel.

Instead, commercial planes are pushed back from the boarding gate by a tug. This is a safer and more efficient way to back up airplanes, especially in busy airport environments.

In the future, there may be new ways for airplanes to back up and turn by themselves. One company, WheelTug, is developing an electric taxiing system for aircraft. This system would allow airplanes to taxi forward and backward, and even rotate 360 degrees powered by Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), without the need for a tug.

WheelTug could save aircraft ground time and fuel, and make airport operations more environmentally friendly and less noisy. However, WheelTug is still in the certification stage, and it is too early to say when it will be widely used at airports.