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Re: Europa-List: Lightning Strikes to Composite Aircraft

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Lightning Strikes to Composite Aircraft
From: Martin Shaw <jm.shaw@ntlworld.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 09:28:43

That certainly ties in with my experience of 3+ decades of flying large tin
cans around the world. Lightning can strike out an amazingly long way from
its parent Cb. If there's any lightning activity around I would strongly
recommend staying in the bar rather than risking flight in a plastic
aeroplane.
ATB
Martin Shaw.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <n3eu@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Lightning Strikes to Composite Aircraft


>
> > Hi All,
> > According to the AAIB at the last PFA Rally at Kemble, aircraft do not
> > attract lightening, so it will only strike if the aircraft flies through
the
> > path of lightening when it is already travelling.  This is my
understanding
> > of what was said.  I therefore try to give CBs a wide birth.
> > Regards,
> > William
>
> Perhaps the AAIB guy didn't come across so clearly, or the "dog ate his
homework."  The below research document is long and technical, but the very
first sentence will do: "Not until the 1980's was it convincingly
demonstrated that the vast majority of lightning strikes to aircraft are
initiated by the aircraft, as opposed to the aircraft's intercepting a
discharge in progress."
>
> http://plaza.ufl.edu/rakov/ProgressinAerospaceSciencespaper.pdf
>
> Regards,
> Fred F.
>
>




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