Protecting Plastic Planes from Lightning
Speaking of lightning hitting airplanes, an article came out this week on how the new Boeing 787 jet will be protected from lightning.
Why is this suddenly rocket science? Well, historically airplanes have escaped without major damage from lightning as it is conducted away from the plane by its metal frame. The Boeing 787 is being built with a completely plastic frame. The solution may involve adding some metal back in to the plane's appendages -- a thin mesh, perhaps, among other improvements. It all has to lead up to their being less than a one in a billion chance that lightning could spark the explosion of the fuel tank, according to the FAA.
LIGHTNING STRIKES AT THE PHILADELPHIA
AIRPORT IN JUNE 2003 (PHOTO GALLERY)
The article states a couple of handy facts to keep in your meteorological wallet:
1. Lightning has not directly caused a plane crash in more than 40 years.
2. It is estimated that every commercial airplane is hit by lightning twice a year.
Lightning related plane disasters quoted from the article:
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