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Composites the new frontier of Aviation Technology

Reader comment on item: Why Did American Airlines 587 Crash?
in response to reader comment: Cover up to save the airline industry

Submitted by Stephen (Canada), Aug 27, 2006 at 13:23

For the most part up until recently Composites have played a structurally minor role in aircraft materials such as aerodynamic fairings (Covers which are screwed on to the exterior joints of major parts such as the wing to fuselage area.) and are generally made of fiberglass not very strong.

The Insatiable desire by the Aerospace Industry to save weight by any means possible which in turn saves fuel is the main driving factor towards more use of stronger composites in much more structurally significant areas of the modern jet. All aviation materials eg. Aircraft Aluminum skins, rivets, bolts are subjected to 1000's of hrs of destructive testing by engineers so all of these results can be quantified into formulas to determine a materials ultimate breaking strength for future aircraft design.

What the general public does not realize is that much Engineering data has also been collected from the past 60 or so years of Aviation disasters which has also contributed to the fairly high predictabilty of A/C materials in real world operational terms. Therefore we are very fortunate with today's materials to have benefited from the 60 yrs of data that has been collected. Therefore we can enjoy for the most part an uneventful safe flight. Many people take this data for granted. at one point in history flying was a very risky business. Now they just hop on a plane without thinking twice.

Airbus has been the first Manufacturer to use Composites for Structurally Significant aircraft parts (Meaning parts which transfer significant amounts of flight loads in high stress areas) . The entire vertical stabilizer of flight 587 which can experience high stress at certain times during flight is made of Composites. This is a revolution in Aerospace engineering terms.

However the new composite "structural" materials such as Kevlar and Carbon Fibre of which flight 587's Vertical Stabilizer or "Tail Section" is made of has gone through 1000's of hrs of similar DestruciveTesting by engineers as the A/C materials (Aluminum) of the past 60 yrs. However we will not be able to benefit from the real world data collected over the past 60 yrs or so. So we are back to square one in those terms. There will be some instances of "trial and error" with the new age A/C materials. The new data will be at the expense of many lives for the next 60 or so yrs.

So in summary there has been a cover up of sorts, an engineering cover up, a proprietary cover up by a major A/C Co. in which billions and billions of dollars are at risk. In my opinion all Airbus products should be grounded, the entire world fleet with their composite Tails until engineers find out why this material failed during flight. But instead the FAA blames the pilots as pilot error and has issued a Airworthiness Directive to all pilots flying Airbus Equipment not to use hard rudder during wake turbulence.As a result of this finding many pilots are opting to not fly Airbus but prefer to fly Boeing aircraft instead.

Thanks Steve R.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (81) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
re: flat spin 587 [85 words]Richard KnoxDec 8, 2020 11:23261981
2Witness Alpha [118 words]Richard KviesSep 13, 2019 19:58254421
news immediately after crash [85 words]geoffOct 31, 2014 15:53219083
FIRE ON BOARD BEHIND WING [57 words]swillsMar 9, 2014 16:18213673
flt 587 [187 words]richard knoxMar 1, 2014 22:39213523
Aircraft Structual Strength [111 words]PilotRob@msn.comJan 9, 2008 06:47117781
aa587 Conspiracy [117 words]Ken OathNov 15, 2007 06:32113750
1I beg to differ... [39 words]Bee ThomasDec 28, 2009 16:26113750
My DaD Died in Flight 587 when i was only 6 [135 words]Greysi SotoMay 23, 2007 10:4394071
1Wake Turbulence and Pilot Error Definitely to Blame [256 words]F ArangoMar 1, 2007 09:0079513
"Wake" up! [262 words]J.Jun 22, 2007 00:5279513
2Go back to sleep! [161 words]K. RowlingsSep 7, 2007 02:2879513
3MY MOM AND BROTHER DIED ON FLIGHT 587 [209 words]CATHY RAMIREZFeb 28, 2007 11:3479347
i feel ur pain [112 words]DeeOct 16, 2008 14:5879347
Thrust reverser activation. [71 words]Brian MorrisFeb 19, 2007 16:5677935
Not only 587, but 800, 990 and 111 were sabotaged as well [100 words]hbJun 6, 2007 13:2277935
1ok, its 2006, anyone know what really happened? [56 words]P. JeiselAug 30, 2006 01:2454351
prior knowledge? [256 words]Mike A ScipioneSep 21, 2006 15:3354351
Pilot Error [98 words]Arianna LFeb 13, 2007 18:0754351
NO PILOT ERROR OR WAKE TURBULENCE HERE. [201 words]JOHN BROGANNov 16, 2005 14:5628492
2A300 is a piece of junk [127 words]anonymousSep 8, 2006 15:5828492
Airbus is a good mechanical plane!!! [46 words]MikeNov 11, 2006 18:3528492
3A lesson in Fluid Mechanics [401 words]anonymousFeb 10, 2007 18:4328492
CONSPIRACY [42 words]COREYJan 31, 2009 17:5428492
Shame on AirBus Management [32 words]CyrusJun 9, 2009 23:3528492
Was Abderraouf Jdey the Anthrax Mailer? [23 words]Kenneth J. DillonJul 22, 2005 08:1823694
1Nothing new in AA 587 report [38 words]DaveOct 27, 2004 15:2417997
Pilot error now blamed for crash [1 words]Julia GlinerOct 26, 2004 12:4217941
Ten Second Scenario [3173 words]Faucon XDec 15, 2008 09:0917941
Where is the information now? [60 words]Johnny RichardsOct 4, 2004 16:1417516
They Were Convinced it was Terrorism [77 words]Leonard W.Sep 18, 2004 17:1517026
Technically [43 words]kippySep 15, 2004 12:2816989
I have had similar suspicions since Reid was caught. [124 words]Aaron KulkisSep 13, 2004 19:2116932
Passenger List Shows No Canadian Passports [29 words]Paul DubucSep 9, 2004 02:5316854
Cover up to save the airline industry [92 words]CraigSep 8, 2004 04:3316783
Composites the new frontier of Aviation Technology [514 words]StephenAug 27, 2006 13:2316783
Truth is the first casualty [333 words]N. MillerSep 7, 2004 16:0216733
AA 587 and inertia! [107 words]William SherriffSep 7, 2004 14:3716725
1American Airlines Flt 87 Crash [149 words]G. LoveringSep 5, 2004 12:5316692
1AA 587 accident a simple explanation, No terrorists involved! No bomb needed just Mother Nature! [168 words]William SherriffSep 4, 2004 17:0016685
1Wake turbulence [405 words]SteveBSep 3, 2004 23:5616676
1Witnesses [145 words]Kelly MeekSep 3, 2004 12:5816674
AA 587 - Crash theories [293 words]Thom OlsenSep 3, 2004 09:3016671
1Private Investigation [235 words]StephenSep 3, 2004 09:1816670
2WE KNOW WHAT WE SAW [52 words]Rockaway, NY WitnessSep 2, 2004 15:4316664
U.S.Read Analysis confirms fire/explosion as source [138 words]Victor TrombettasSep 2, 2004 11:5616658
What about TWA 800? [124 words]Karl DussikSep 1, 2004 01:2516642
Finally coming to light [187 words]P MonesAug 31, 2004 18:3816633
Purpose is Economic Devastation [215 words]BarbaraAug 31, 2004 18:1316631
1John Gambling Show [99 words]John FlynnAug 31, 2004 17:3516630
Common sense sadly missing [111 words]Big BobAug 31, 2004 15:4916628
Agreeing with PSJ, BR, DP, and JV; RMcM and FK: see NTSB link below [201 words]Michael PoppersAug 31, 2004 15:0016627
Why didn't Richard Reid go in the bathroom? [163 words]R.J. SchulzeAug 31, 2004 13:4916624
1I live 10 blocks from the crash site [237 words]Chris JonnyAug 31, 2004 13:3416623
Never Believed Flight 800 Was An Accident. [290 words]PsutAug 31, 2004 10:2916619
Shoe bomber and AA587 [140 words]Stan RevichAug 31, 2004 07:5416617
AA 587 Why? [42 words]Bob the pilotFeb 26, 2007 14:1516617
FLT 587 [37 words]Chuck IngersonAug 31, 2004 07:1816615
The wrong victims... [106 words]MontyAug 31, 2004 06:5716614
Terror connection to AA 587-- hardly a new thought [383 words]J. Keen HollandAug 31, 2004 05:4016613
THANK YOU EVER SOO BLOODY MUCH [67 words]Natasha VeruschkaAug 31, 2004 03:0816610
Will all the sheep please stand up and be counted? [220 words]Kevin MacDuffAug 30, 2004 21:1416607
"Did a shoe-bomb take down AA Flight 857?" [116 words]Pete St.JeanAug 30, 2004 21:0716606
One possiblility on why the flight went down [59 words]Walter D'UllAug 30, 2004 20:3816605
Follow up on Passenger manifest [21 words]Bernard RossAug 30, 2004 20:2916604
Suggested Comment #5 [78 words]Rich McMahonAug 30, 2004 17:3716603
I thought so [49 words]Preston R PhillipsAug 30, 2004 17:2316602
See passenger manifest [45 words]Larry GoldsteinAug 30, 2004 17:0016601
Very Interesting [272 words]AvrahamAug 30, 2004 15:2716600
What is really going on? [147 words]Sam MoharebAug 30, 2004 15:1116599
I don't think so, but ... [67 words]dpierceAug 30, 2004 14:5516597
It's plausible [222 words]John W McGinleyAug 30, 2004 13:5316594
What about TWA 800? [82 words]Lisa MichelsonAug 30, 2004 13:1816593
Could this have been a test? [215 words]Marlene GoodmanAug 30, 2004 12:5816591
2OUEENS PLANE CRASH [224 words]Fred KellerAug 30, 2004 12:0116590
Thanks for speaking up. [46 words]Michelle LongfellowAug 30, 2004 11:0216585
Timing of Crash [42 words]J VincentAug 30, 2004 10:3816584
Possible coverup? [100 words]Paul RinderleAug 30, 2004 09:1416581
1AA 587 [174 words]Dave KAug 30, 2004 08:1416579
1NO BOMB - NON-CONTEMPORY RUDDER CONTROL SYSTEM [74 words]JIM HELMSNov 8, 2006 12:4416579
The explosion sound... [20 words]Christian valentinMar 2, 2007 00:0416579

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