Why can Lightening strike an aircraft if the aircraft is not earthed? I know it can be sruck...?

Question

it can be struck but why is it to do with it being more conductable then air?

Answer 1

An aircraft creates a static path by just its motion through the air.All aircraft are equipped with static dischargers which are either composite carbon,or just sort of rope looking pieces that are usually mounted on the trailing tips or ends of the wings and control surfaces, which "bleed off" this static build up.They do this not for lightning, but for communication and avionics.The aircraft also contain large numbers of "bonding straps". These maintain a flow across the numerous parts or sections trying to reduce the static build up.As clouds move they also collect static electricity.When there is a large build up and motion in a thunderstorm this energy looks for the quickest path to a ground.If a aircraft is in this path,or part of it, the lightning tries to go through it.Usually there is little or no damage, but it can also cause pitting or burning in the skin of the aircraft.If it is powerful enough it has been known to damage radar and other avionic devices. Sometimes lightning does not follow the path of the discharge and usually larger holes or burn throughs occur in sub structure such as trailing edges and fairings.There are generally several inspections required by maintenance if a flight crew believes they have been struck by lightning.I believe the only known crash was when lightning arced through the fuel vent tank of a 707 causing the outer section of wing to explode resulting in loss of control. Also aircraft on the ground are targets for lightning because they are not grounded until an object or vehicle or person become the connecting link. Hope this helped !

Answer 2

There are two reasons lightining strikes airplanes. Most airplanes are conductive, and therefore, it's easier for lightining to go a little out of it's way to go through the airplane then to go in a straight line. Basically, it takes millions of volts of potentail to jump an airliner sized gap in the atmosphere, and only a few volts to move current through an airplane. The second problem is that as airplanes move through the air, they can pick up a static charge, incrasesing the potential for a lighting strike. This is why airplanes have "static wicks" on trailing edges, to bleed static electricity back into the atmosphere.

It's pretty exciting to be in an airplane during a lightning strike. Sometimes there's no damage, and sometimes piecese of the airplane are missing and electronics are fried.

Answer 3

Static electricity from movement through the air will negatively (build up of electrons) charge the aircraft which gives it a high electrical potential. This "negative" charge reacts with a positively charged cloud to draw lightning, which is the same basic reaction that occurs between the cloud and the ground.

Answer 4

I examine your question a similar way some people on right here did on the commencing up, they have assumed which you fairly want to be attentive to approximately crashes led to by skill of the gas igniting. like the expert record into the TWA800 crash. What your question fairly asks is why does it ignite for the period of a crash, splendid me if i'm incorrect there. this is led to, yet isn't solely led to by skill of, the compressive forces of an result. Jet gas in its liquid form is fairly no longer truthfully ignited, yet once you blend it with air this is going to become extraordinarily flammable and ignites with explosive stress. The gas pouring from a rupture in the airframe could be ignited by skill of the engines, see the Concorde crash.

Answer 5

lightning tries to find a direct path to the ground and whatever is in it's path will be struck with little or no harmful effect if it's not grounded.