Whats the largest plane to do a barrel roll?

Question

Whats the largest plane to do a barrel roll?

Answer 1

watch bob hoover pour the glass of iced tea.....freakin genius!

Answer 2

You could do a 1G roll in any size airplane.  The better the roll rate, the quicker the roll would be.  With a slower roll rate you would need to start out at a higher nose up attitude.  This would prevent a major loss in altitude while coming through the roll.  

If done correct it is a 1G maneuver and no extra stress would be imposed on the airplane.  There would also be very little loss in altitude.

Search for the 707 video on youtube.  Pretty much sums up what I am describing.

Remember that an airplane is an airplane.  Size is not a big factor in doing a roll.  It all has to do with the roll rate.

Answer 3

i heard that John Travolta did it in a 747

Answer 4

The largest known that I am aware of---the largest recorded, anyway----the Boeing 367-80 (prototype of B707/720).

Answer 5

Not a true barrel roll but I believe worth an honorable mention is when the F/0 on a Fedex DC-10 rolled the aircraft inverted then right side up in  amongst many other extreme maneuvers during the fight against a vicious would-be hijacker. Who was ultimately thwarted in part by these maneuvers. Who's stated goal was to crash the a/c into Fedex's main hub in Memphis.

Answer 6

All jet airliners are built with enough structural strength to do common aerobatic maneuvers, including loops and rolls. But most of them do not have enough control authority (size and shape of rudder, elevators, and ailerons) to allow such a radical attitude change. As one person mentioned, the newer computer augmented control systems also limit G forces and attitude extremes.

A loop can be performed in an underpowered airplane. You don't have to have enough thrust to fly straight up. But nobody is going to do these things in a $400,000,000.00 airplane that belongs to somebody else.

So the answer to "is it possible?" is "yes and no, I suppose, unless otherwise."

Answer 7

i saw a Spartan cargo plane  perform that maneuver and agree with Manny about that Ch53

Answer 8

Here is the you tube link to Tex Johnston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_khhzuF...

Answer 9

It was the prototype of the Boeing 707, known as the 'Dash 80'.  Tex Johnston was the pilot.

Bob Hoover did a barrell roll in a Shrike Commander with the secretary of the Air Force and a bunch of military big whigs, and poured a glass of iced tea while in the process.  Not the biggest airplane, but a great maneuver.

Boeing 707:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJyAyopu2...

Bob Hoover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw2qPLEgK...

Answer 10

I heard a 747 did it...

Sorry, maybe it was a 707 I was thinking of.

Answer 11

I really doubt a 74 can roll.  Straight and level that is.

Tex Johnston working as a test pilot for Boeing rolled a 707 during an exhibition flyby.

http://www.aviationexplorer.com/707_roll...

I have heard of a P-3 that did a 1 g roll starting at 20K and ending at 7K but that's more of a dive for me though.

There are claims of a B-52, but I find that hard to believe.

Don't forget the marines CH-53 sea stallion.  But that one was scrapped after that flight!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VC2E8RJE3J...