What does it mean to “firewall” an aircraft engine?
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I (think) I understand what a firewall is (at least, in a single engine aircraft where the engine is at the front of the fuselage), but what does it mean "to firewall" an aircraft's engines, as described in this incident report: is it just applying full thrust? What is the connection with the physical firewall?
terminology thrust
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I (think) I understand what a firewall is (at least, in a single engine aircraft where the engine is at the front of the fuselage), but what does it mean "to firewall" an aircraft's engines, as described in this incident report: is it just applying full thrust? What is the connection with the physical firewall?
terminology thrust
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I (think) I understand what a firewall is (at least, in a single engine aircraft where the engine is at the front of the fuselage), but what does it mean "to firewall" an aircraft's engines, as described in this incident report: is it just applying full thrust? What is the connection with the physical firewall?
terminology thrust
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
$endgroup$
I (think) I understand what a firewall is (at least, in a single engine aircraft where the engine is at the front of the fuselage), but what does it mean "to firewall" an aircraft's engines, as described in this incident report: is it just applying full thrust? What is the connection with the physical firewall?
terminology thrust
terminology thrust
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
asked 9 hours ago
user7645895user7645895
20613
20613
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
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"To firewall" is a phrase meaning to go to full power. Most aircraft throttle controls provide full power when moved to their furthest forward position - the direction towards the firewall separating the nose mounted engine from the cockpit in aircraft in the past. The phrase is still used, just as we "dial" a telephone even though the telephone dial is no longer used, either. A similar one for automobile driving is "pedal to the metal".
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
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– mckenzm
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's just an expression. It means to push the throttle as far forward as it will go (all the way to the firewall, if you can), or full power.
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
"To firewall" is a phrase meaning to go to full power. Most aircraft throttle controls provide full power when moved to their furthest forward position - the direction towards the firewall separating the nose mounted engine from the cockpit in aircraft in the past. The phrase is still used, just as we "dial" a telephone even though the telephone dial is no longer used, either. A similar one for automobile driving is "pedal to the metal".
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
"To firewall" is a phrase meaning to go to full power. Most aircraft throttle controls provide full power when moved to their furthest forward position - the direction towards the firewall separating the nose mounted engine from the cockpit in aircraft in the past. The phrase is still used, just as we "dial" a telephone even though the telephone dial is no longer used, either. A similar one for automobile driving is "pedal to the metal".
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
"To firewall" is a phrase meaning to go to full power. Most aircraft throttle controls provide full power when moved to their furthest forward position - the direction towards the firewall separating the nose mounted engine from the cockpit in aircraft in the past. The phrase is still used, just as we "dial" a telephone even though the telephone dial is no longer used, either. A similar one for automobile driving is "pedal to the metal".
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
$endgroup$
"To firewall" is a phrase meaning to go to full power. Most aircraft throttle controls provide full power when moved to their furthest forward position - the direction towards the firewall separating the nose mounted engine from the cockpit in aircraft in the past. The phrase is still used, just as we "dial" a telephone even though the telephone dial is no longer used, either. A similar one for automobile driving is "pedal to the metal".
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
answered 8 hours ago
JimHornJimHorn
1913
1913
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Another automotive expression I've heard is having one's "foot in the carburetor", the humorous imaging being that someone pushed the gas pedal so far their foot followed the linkage all the way to the carburetor.
$endgroup$
– Fred Larson
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
$begingroup$
Foot to the floor will do. Full bore does not get fuller. The floor being a de facto firewall where the pedal hits it in any case.
$endgroup$
– mckenzm
2 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's just an expression. It means to push the throttle as far forward as it will go (all the way to the firewall, if you can), or full power.
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's just an expression. It means to push the throttle as far forward as it will go (all the way to the firewall, if you can), or full power.
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
It's just an expression. It means to push the throttle as far forward as it will go (all the way to the firewall, if you can), or full power.
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
$endgroup$
It's just an expression. It means to push the throttle as far forward as it will go (all the way to the firewall, if you can), or full power.
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
answered 8 hours ago
Fred LarsonFred Larson
1,3411114
1,3411114
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Like AC-DC says, push the balls to the wall man. From era before engine control quadrants, ends of the controls were balls. Throttle in full, Mixture full rich, Prop control to flattest pitch for max RPM.
$endgroup$
– CrossRoads
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
$begingroup$
Streetcars typically had controllers that rotated around an axis, there's a stop molded into the top of the control stand, which was made of brass. Hence, "on the brass" indicated full power. However, you didn't want to spend any time in a resistor point, you would cruise at full series or full parallel. So "on the brass" was a normal running point, not near as dramatic as "firewalled".
$endgroup$
– Harper
5 hours ago
add a comment |
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