divetheworld
Registered
For your information guys'n'gals -
the cargo hold of most commercial airliner is pressurised the same as the cabin, the temperatures are a bit lower but thats it.
At the normal cruising altitude of heavy commercial jets, 28 to 34, 000 feet, barometric pressure outside the aircraft is insufficient to sustain life. So when the aircraft climbs, the barometric pressure inside the passenger cabin and cargo holds is allowed to decrease, but only to a pressure equivalent to 6,500 feet, or 8,000 feet with some older jets. This allows passengers and livestock to breathe quite easily. Ideally, it would be nice if the internal cabin pressure could remain the same as that at sea level (no popping ears!), but this would put a much greater pressure load on the fuselage, requiring stronger and thus heavier construction. The pressure is held by the fuselage, not the floor boards!!
Very few aircraft still have unpressurised holds nowadays.
the cargo hold of most commercial airliner is pressurised the same as the cabin, the temperatures are a bit lower but thats it.
At the normal cruising altitude of heavy commercial jets, 28 to 34, 000 feet, barometric pressure outside the aircraft is insufficient to sustain life. So when the aircraft climbs, the barometric pressure inside the passenger cabin and cargo holds is allowed to decrease, but only to a pressure equivalent to 6,500 feet, or 8,000 feet with some older jets. This allows passengers and livestock to breathe quite easily. Ideally, it would be nice if the internal cabin pressure could remain the same as that at sea level (no popping ears!), but this would put a much greater pressure load on the fuselage, requiring stronger and thus heavier construction. The pressure is held by the fuselage, not the floor boards!!
Very few aircraft still have unpressurised holds nowadays.
