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Re: Europa-List: Lightning Strikes to Composite Aircraft

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Lightning Strikes to Composite Aircraft
From: n3eu@comcast.net
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 18:14:03

> 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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