can jets go in reverse

[keefy]

my son was playing grand theft auto playstation game when the character climbed into a jet plane which then started to reverse on to the runway before it took off . I always thought jets could only go forward and if they wanted to reverse a small truck had to turn them am i wrong

[Hippy]

Most large turbofan engines have a system of external baffles at the back that swing across the rear gas exit and direct the force forward. This is called "reverse thrust" and is used to slow the plane down when it lands. If you used this on a stationary plane with the brakes off then it would move backwards, but it would be rather dificult to control as the captain (in charge of the little front-wheel steering control on the extreme left of the cockpit) would be a long way from any obstacles in the way. This is not a normal manoeuvre.

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[sddsddean]

Agree with all the above. The only aircraft I know that is designed to 'reverse' itself on the ground is the Boeing C17 Globemaster. During design it was assumed that no 'tug' facilities would be available on remote airstrips, so it would have to manouver itself.

http://www.global-defence.com/2000/pages/c17gl.html

[Clanad]

Actually, many aircraft with aft mounted engines such as the Douglas (now Boeing) DC-9 series or the Boeing 727, "taxi" rearward.  The airport, individual gates, and the air carrier all have to be approved for the manuever.  The gates at which these "power back" exits are approved usually don't have room between the nose of the aircraft and the terminal building for a tug.  The aircraft is first taxied ahead for a very few feet (guided by a marshaller) to get the tires off of the "flat spot".  Then on signal, the thrust reversers (cleverly named) are deployed and power brought up to begin moving straight back for perhaps 200 feet to where the aircraft can then be turned while moving ahead.  The crews qualified to do this manuever are now trained in a simulator.  A virtual marshaller complete with orange signal wands, motions the crew through the manuever...

[Ewood27]

Another reason for not wanting to use reverse thrust to manoeuvre is that it blows stones and other foreign objects up into the engine intakes, and jet engines don't like that.  Reverse is normally used on landing, after touchdown down to about 80 knots, then taken out.