Advantages
Podded engines...
- on the wings can act as vortex generators.
- can be located significantly outboard on the wing, where the wing thickness is too small to accommodate a buried engine. The further outboard, the greater the wing bending relief.
- in front of the wing provide maximum resistance to flutter of the wing. This is why almost all of the engine pod is located ahead of the leading edge of the wing.
- ease maintenance access.
- reduce noise within the cabin (since the engines are farther from the cabin, and for engines mounted below the wing, the wing itself acts as a noise shield).
- can often be exchanged with alternative models more easily. For example, the Boeing 747 uses engines from GE, Pratt and Whitney, and Rolls Royce, the changes being mostly isolated to the pods themselves.
- are less likely to critically damage the aircraft than an engine embedded within the airframe if they explode, catch fire or break free from their mounts. Although such events seldom happen to modern jet engines, this possibility helps explain why podded engines are commonly used on commercial and general aviation aircraft that may carry fare-paying passengers. Military combat jets are often occupied only by crew members who can bail out of the craft in an emergency, making this safety factor less crucial.
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