by Allen | Jan 19, 2012 | Lightning Protection |
A Ryanair 737-800 on approach to Malmo, Sweden was struck by lightning. Reports indicate that the radome was hit and and the aircraft was delayed as repairs were made. See the news article here:...
by Allen | Jan 6, 2012 | Lightning Protection |
Lightning researcher Tom Warner flew in a modified T-28 while researching thunderstorms in 2003. He provides a unique perspective on being struck by lightning while flying. The T-28 is a relatively small plane with a large cockpit canopy so when struck by lightning, Tom states “it felt and sounded like someone slapped the canopy right next to my head.” You can read Tom’s full article on his website:...
by Allen | Jan 4, 2012 | Lightning Protection |
A 737-800 was recently struck while flying between Cypress and Turkey. It appears from the photo below that the radome was hit by lightning. The metal bar diverter on the side of the radome is darkened and, with the mechanics looking under the radome, there is likely radome damage. Metal bar diverters, such as those used on the 737, are not designed to withstand large strikes without damage. When the bars are damaged they need maintenance before the aircraft can fly again. So, if metal bars require maintenance after lightning, and the fasteners holding the bars on the radome cause water damage to the radome, why do aircraft manufacturers continue to use them? WXGuard lightning diverters do not require fasteners and are lighter and more aerodynamic than metal bar diverters. Plus, WXGuard diverters are RF transparent. The choice is clear. WXGuard lightning diverters are the future of radome lightning protection. Call Shine Wire at 1-800-543-5151 to learn more about...
by Allen | Dec 22, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
This past summer a large storm passed over Toronto, Canada. Toronto is home to the CN tower which is the largest tower structure in the world, standing over 1800 ft high. As shown in the following video, the CN tower triggers multiple lightning strikes, creating a brilliant light show. The CN tower is struck by lightning multiple times a year but the night captured in this video is exceptionally...
by Allen | Dec 8, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
Sprites are highly energetic discharges that occur in the upper atmosphere during lightning strikes. Until about 20 years ago, sprites were only seen by pilots flying at high altitudes. Recently, scientist have been doing significant amounts of research on sprites and captured high speed video of sprites. See the new video...
by Allen | Dec 5, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
National Public Radio just aired a segmented on lightning phenomenon with guest Joseph Dwyer from the Florida Institute of Technology. Professor Dwyer and his colleagues have recently discovered that lightning produces X-rays which may be somehow involved in the propagation of...
by Allen | Dec 2, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
NASA researchers have recently measured very low frequency resonances in space that are created by lightning strikes. Evidently, lightning can excite the earth’s atmosphere at frequencies around 8 Hz. These waves bounces around the earth’s and when multiple lightning strikes occur, these multiple waves create peaks and valleys that can be measured in space. A picture of these wave effects is shown below. The full news article can be found here: NASA lightning...
by Allen | Nov 23, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
Physics researchers at New Mexico Tech are developing instrumentation to take 3D images of lightning strikes. This research seeks to identify the process which lightning forms and then propagates. Take a look at the following video that shows some of the results of their measurements. More information about New Mexico Tech’s research is available at their website: New Mexico Tech...
by Allen | Nov 18, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
Physics students at Cardiff University in Wales, UK are investigating methods to measure paint thickness on metal and composite parts. Paint thickness measurements can be a difficult task but one that is necessary to maintain lightning protection. Thick coatings of paint will cause lightning to stay in a particular location longer than thinner coatings. The longer lightning is focused in one area, the more damage it will do. Lightning engineers put restrictions on the thicknesses of aircraft coatings to make sure that lightning does not create significant damage. However, it is often difficult to measure coatings in field since the current paint thickness equipment is relatively expensive and requires a qualified operator. If the students at Cardiff can create a simple thickness measurement device, it will help the industry immensely. Read the full article here: Cardiff University...
by Allen | Nov 17, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
This terrific video shows how much voltage is generated when aircraft fly through clouds, particularly clouds with ice. As a KC-135 tanker approaches with its refueling probe to fuel a military 747 (E-4), huge sparks occur between the tanker and 747. Many of these discharges appear to occur on or near the radome and the refueling port. These size sparks are only generated when there are several million volts of potential difference between the...
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