Originally Posted by Dr Illitout
All the wing fueling station panels I've come across are hinged at the front, so in theory they will be held shut by the forward airflow. BUT when reverse thrust is applied, thats when dammage will proberbly occur. As for the flaps tearing them off, I'm not sure. The ones I've seen come mighty close so I won't risk flap operation with one open!!
Rgds Dr I
I once met a B737 where the wing refuel panel had been left open on departure. The hold open rods were broken, but otherwise it was still intact.
On all Boeings, the Slats will move up and down and they miss the open refuel panel.
But leave an A320 refuel panel open and it will depart. They are hinged at the bottom and hang down when open. Nowadays if one is damaged we have to remove it and cover the hole with speedtape. Leaving it in place, covered with speedtape is not an option any more.