In a message dated 26/03/99 02:00:48 Greenwich Standard Time, TroyMaynor
writes:
The "sure fire" way as you put it, is to earth the aircraft with a
conducting wire to produce one big discharge ! The way to prevent it as per
my previous message is to incorporate a highish resistance in the wire
somewhere, preferably beyond your hand
if the wire is bare, or you will have done the job yourself !
What is earth? is another interesting question. You all know the story of the
little old lady leading a wire from her radio chassis to her geranium pot
(that actually would work as far as the aerial is concerned for things are
different at r.f.). For d.c., a metal hangar is no doubt ok, but I sometimes
wonder if a tanker standing on dry ground is guaranteed, even if the tyres are
conducting. It has more capacitance than a flower pot but only around 300
pf., similar to the aircraft and would thus just halve the voltage in the
absence of conduction. But that's enough physics for tonight.
Hosing down also dissipates charge.
Graham C.
|