Just how thick?

[knucklehead]

How thick is the outer skin on these jetliners, that's ripping apart?

 

[AUTO-FX]

I dont know , but I'll bet it's not even 040. Aircraft grade aluminum is stronger though, so I guess it can be thinner than you would think. I put graphics on a helicopter once and was surprised how thin the surface felt. There was a former NTSB guy on the news last night talking about it, and he did say the "structure" of these planes is very strong, but i got the impression he wasnt talking about the skin. he also said that a tear would always stop at the next line of rivets, so there is no chance the hole would have ever been any larger than it was on that southwest plane.

 

[letterman7]

I'm sure it's not the same thing, but a buddy of mine builds X aircraft as a hobby. Almost all of them are in kit form and very well made (and a well known manufacturer), and those skins aren't more than .020. The aluminum grade was stamped on the panels, but I don't remember what it was.

 

[Finishline Signs]

Most of the skin varries from .030 to .050 depending on where it at on the aircraft. There are also doulblers of varrying thickness in the areas of the most stress. The alloy is usually 2024-t6 or even t7.

 

[James Burke]

At those gages, it doesn't take much to create fatigue. Think of all the dust and debris that literally gets blasted across the skin as it flys. Those microscopic stratches lead to cracks, and then splits.

JB

 

[jiarby]

They used to make them from fabric! The skin is not structural.... other than, of course, to keep the air pressure in.

That is what cracks them, the take-off & landing cycles that pressurize and de-pressurize the fuselage. Aluminum is pretty vulnerable to metal fatigue.

 

[Gino]

They used to make them from fabric! The skin is not structural.... other than, of course, to keep the air pressure in.

That is what cracks them, the take-off & landing cycles that pressurize and de-pressurize the fuselage. Aluminum is pretty vulnerable to metal fatigue.

That's why you always saw a 'puff' of smoke trailing superman........... he was always de-pressurizing. Plus. he also ate a lot of cabbage.