Do Airplanes get struck by lightening?

Answer 1

Yes, they put quite a bit of insulation into the planes for this. If the strike is a high voltage one, you could see instruments knocked out or worse yet, the plane could crash.

Answer 2

Yes they do, it happens quite frequently. As others have mentioned it rarely causes a problem as the charge is carried through the metal skin of the aircraft (usually aluminum). It's the same principle as a Faraday Cage which is explained here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage Just as a point of interest, if you're ever in a lightning storm get inside an automobile, even if the vehicle gets struck the occupants won't be harmed.

Modern aircraft use a lot of carbon composite materials in their construction which don't conduct electricity. In order to conduct any electrical charge safely away the material has conductive fibers incorporated.

A lightning strike on an aircraft can knock out electrical components but built in safety factors in modern aircraft make this a rare occurence; it ised to be much more common.

Answer 3

Yes, since the outer skin of most airplanes is primarily aluminum, which is a very good conductor of electricity; the secret to safe lightning hits is to allow the current to flow through the skin from the point of impact to some other point without interruption or diversion to the interior of the aircraft.

Answer 4

it really is particularly common that lightning hits an plane. resembling a vehicle, an plane grants very reliable probability-free practices to those interior, in effortless words extra appropriate because it really is a extra appropriate celebration of a Faraday cage than a vehicle is. All notwithstanding I absolutely have not at all considered it in print, i trust that resembling lightning researchers who fireplace rockets into thunderstorms trailing a wire to commence up lightning strokes, an plane flying close to thunderstorms may have an similar result and absolutely commence up a lights stroke. the in effortless words coincidence i'm able to remember the position a commercial plane became presented down became on December 8, 1962 lights hit a Pan American Boeing 707 in a conserving progression over Elkton, Md. The lightning led to a spark that ignited gasoline vapor in a tank, causing an explosion that presented the plane down, killing all 80 one aboard. by using that coincidence, truly some testing became performed and further effective aspects to guard the gasoline and electric powered structures further to more suitable decrease the probability of lightning led to issues. because then, it really is anticipated that commercial plane overall being hit a minimum of once each and each year in flight with very few issues linked. they'd be hit extra regularly if it wasn't for the actual shown truth that pilots are taught to avert thunderstorms if in any respect conceivable.

Answer 5

Lightning strikes aircraft frequently but rarely poses a problem to pilot or passengers. When it hits a wing I have read of it causing pin size holes in the airframe. If it were to come across any leaking fuel it could cause an explosion, but again that would be extremly rare.

Answer 6

Actually, this is quite common. The airplane and passengers are usually unaffected because the electricity remains on the outer hull. See the following Web site for more information on this interesting subject:

http://www.lightningtech.com/d~ta/faq1.html

Answer 7

Yes many times but technology helps us go around severe electrical storms, last year several planes in algeria or nigeria were struck

Answer 8

Yes, planes can be hit by lightening because they are primarily made of metal and fly through storm fronts.