# Would it be possible to fly a fighter jet through a tunnel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704 "2018-03-16T23:36:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/1 "2018-03-16T23:36:29Z")
Assuming it fits of course and there is an exit on the other end. This is the sort of thing I mean: [DCS Harrier: Slow But Steady Wins The Race - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVU0UDVv1E) (video of player flying a Harrier jet through a tunnel in DCS World)\* and its also depicted in the Ace Combat games I believe though I’ve never played those. [![](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/803204dc-b4fb-4db7-91ab-1e43d7c23ac8/d53b059-72637020-acfd-4241-8030-718102e13239.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi84MDMyMDRkYy1iNGZiLTRkYjctOTFhYi0xZTQzZDdjMjNhYzgvZDUzYjA1OS03MjYzNzAyMC1hY2ZkLTQyNDEtODAzMC03MTgxMDJlMTMyMzkuanBnIn1dXX0.dfdfDh_HMUm4xbz5R2RFI3q8svpuHPfblMFxyY-bfKk) ](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/803204dc-b4fb-4db7-91ab-1e43d7c23ac8/d53b059-72637020-acfd-4241-8030-718102e13239.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi84MDMyMDRkYy1iNGZiLTRkYjctOTFhYi0xZTQzZDdjMjNhYzgvZDUzYjA1OS03MjYzNzAyMC1hY2ZkLTQyNDEtODAzMC03MTgxMDJlMTMyMzkuanBnIn1dXX0.dfdfDh_HMUm4xbz5R2RFI3q8svpuHPfblMFxyY-bfKk) Basically flying through a railway tunnel or something wider than itself, I can’t think of any obvious reason why it would not be possible given someone insane enough to try it but maybe there are aerodynamic forces at work that I’m not taking into consideration? Need answer fast. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/2 "2018-03-17T00:53:17Z")
from checking around for one example a F16 would be too big to fit in a road tunnel like the Holland Tunnel in NJ/NY . There may be smaller jets and bigger tunnels where it would work. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/3 "2018-03-17T01:09:05Z")
An answer on [Quora](https://www.quora.com/Can-an-airplane-fly-in-a-tunnel) from a couple of years ago, by a Senior Aerospace Engineer who studied at MIT: > [@](#): > > Yes. > > It is a matter of Flow Blockage. > > From wind tunnel work and shock tube work, my estimate is: > > If the frontal cross sectional area of the airplane is less than 20% of the area of the tunnel and there is a gap between the wing tip and the tunnel wall that is at least one average wing-chord length, and the airplane is flying below Mach 0.8 (so there are not any local shocks) it would be fine to fly in the tunnel. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/4 "2018-03-17T04:29:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > An answer on [Quora](https://www.quora.com/Can-an-airplane-fly-in-a-tunnel) from a couple of years ago, by a Senior Aerospace Engineer who studied at MIT: I assume he meant in theory. I doubt he’d be willing to get into the plane to fly through a tunnel that meat his minimum standards. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/5 "2018-03-17T04:49:28Z")
Digression–there’s a subplot in the WWII novel “A Piece of Cake” about whether the British Hurricane pilots can fly under the arches of a French stone bridge. SPOILER If I remember correctly one does, or says he has, and later another pilot dies in the attempt ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/6 "2018-03-17T10:40:23Z")
Barnstormers famously flew through barns, thus the term. And a barn is basically a wooden tunnel, if you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/7 "2018-03-18T00:01:51Z")
I am not an engineer but I infer from the Quora answer that Johnny L.A. quoted that if the cross-sectional area of the plane is too large compared to that of the tunnel, the plane won’t be able to push the air out of the way fast enough, since the only place for the air to go is out the end of the tunnel, and drag will exceed lift. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/8 "2018-03-18T01:00:13Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am not an engineer but I infer from the Quora answer that Johnny L.A. quoted that if the cross-sectional area of the plane is too large compared to that of the tunnel, the plane won’t be able to push the air out of the way fast enough… This was a problem that had to be designed around for the tunnels under the English Channel – that’s one of the purposes of the cross-connecting passages between the main tunnels. I think something like this is common in long transportation tunnels. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/9 "2018-03-18T02:54:04Z")
What’s a “wing-cord”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/10 "2018-03-18T03:09:35Z")
> [@j666](#): > > What’s a “wing-cord”? Chord. I would have just said ‘chord length’, but since the guy is an engineer he may have wanted to be unambiguous. (Though why anyone might assume the horizontal stab chord is beyond me.) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/11 "2018-03-18T03:10:51Z")
> [@j666](#): > > What’s a “wing-cord”? Wing chord is the average front-to-back width of the wing. Chord times span (minus fuselage width) would be wing surface area. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/12 "2018-03-18T03:28:07Z")
Does the tunnel have a treadmill? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/13 "2018-03-18T03:58:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Barnstormers famously flew through barns, thus the term. And a barn is basically a wooden tunnel, if you think about it. Actually, the term barnstormer comes from itinerant performers who would perform in barns, later applied to pilot acrobats who flew from farm to farm. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/14 "2018-03-18T14:50:42Z")
That is not a lot of leeway for the width of the tunnel. I’m not trying it. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/15 "2018-03-18T15:59:16Z")
Didn’t they fly a BD-5 through a hangar in one of the Bond films? Or was that the prop version? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/16 "2018-03-18T17:13:14Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Didn’t they fly a BD-5 through a hangar in one of the Bond films? Or was that the prop version? The aircraft was a BD-5J, the jet. According to a post on [this forum](https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=61481): > [@harry remmington](#): > > I shot it and no way would the MOD allow it, whatever insurance cover. > Nose mounted 35mm film camera on a 208 flown by David Voy started the shot over the gymkhana and the rebel army firing at the Bede. We pulled up at the hanger doors…the shot was continued through the hanger with a camera mast scale model mounted on top of an E-Type Jag.at 100mph - we got other hanger shots with car hidden by strategically placed props. Exit with a r/c model. > It took three days for 45 seconds. ‘Harry Remmington’ does not appear in the crew list on IMDb. He mentions ‘208’. There is a Cessna 208 Caravan, but it didn’t fly until 1982 and was not approved until 1984, and you can’t mount a camera on the nose. He might mean a Bell 208, but that was a one-off prototype in 1965. He also doesn’t know how to spell ‘hangar’. Also from that thread: > [@](#): > > Re the BD-5 through the hangar, I seem to recall in Today’s Pilot a few months back, there was an interview with Corkey Fornof who flew the BD-5 in Octopussy. It said there that he did fly through the hangar and Googling it comes with a couple of interesting points that conflicts with other views here. Wonder who is right? :? > > At [bd5.com](http://bd5.com) it says: > > _As an interesting bit of trivia, the mockups were not ordered for the 1983 movie “Octopussy” which made the BD-5J Microjet famous. They were ordered in 1978 for the 1979 movie “Moonraker” but were not used because the production ran over-budget. They were then stored and when the call came for the flying sequences in Octopussy, they were dusted off and called to service. One of the mockups became the "bird on a stick’’ aircraft used in the hangar sequence. The mockup was installed on a vertical post, and the post was affixed to a Jaguar convertible that drove through the hangar to make it look as if Bond had flown through it. Corkey Fornof made the real pass through the hangar, but the interior pass was too fast to be used in the movie. You can see the post below the aircraft if you look closely during the scene. Another piece of trivia – the transmission on the Jaguar gave up the ghost and the car stopped running after that scene!_ So Corkey Fornof himself says he flew through the hangar. [MI6 - The Home of James Bond 007](https://mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=7556) says: > [@](#): > > Corkey Fornof has flown in 48 movies, often with jeopardy as his co-pilot. His best-known maneuver? Flying through a hangar in “Octopussy,” one of four James Bond movies in which he flew - reports The Ledger. > > He didn’t just fly through the hangar. He did it eight times. > > “We did all the math, and we knew it could be done, but my heart was in my throat,” Fornof said. So to wrap up: Corkey Fornof, the pilot on _Octopussy_, says he did it. The Bond website says he did it eight times. SGOTI claims to have filmed the scene, and that it was simulated. My conclusion is that Fornof did fly the BD-5J through the hangar, but many parts of the sequence were achieved with non-flying aircraft and miniatures. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/17 "2018-03-18T19:32:09Z")
Thanks for that, you would think such a famous sequence was documented thoroughly without conflicting reports! I worked with a pilot that knew Jim Bede who was from the Cleveland area. You can send the report on the Jaguar over to the “Should I buy this Jaguar” thread. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/18 "2018-03-18T19:43:36Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I worked with a pilot that knew Jim Bede… My dad was building a BD-5A. He was approached by a friend who had access to a turbine engine that would fit. Dad called Bede and asked him if he could put a jet engine in the plane. Bede told him no way would that ever work. And then a year or two later he came out with the BD-5J. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/19 "2018-03-18T21:47:22Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Thanks for that, you would think such a famous sequence was documented thoroughly without conflicting reports! if something that happened only about forty years ago, that was filmed extensively and with probably hundreds of eyewitnesses is so uncertain it does make you wonder how much faith you can put in the reports of historical events hundreds or even thousands of years ago. 🙂 _(I’ve heard the same thing mentioned about the famous ‘shoe banging’ incident by Nikita Khrushchev at the United Nations, there is no clear consensus on whether or not he did actually bang his shoe on the lectern)_ ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704/20 "2018-03-18T21:53:21Z")
Am I that the only one who–every time I see the thread title–think of the euphemism “throwing a hotdog down a hallway?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-be-possible-to-fly-a-fighter-jet-through-a-tunnel/810704.md?page=2)