What fool would go flying after V1 if the tower is shouting that you're on fire?
The tower wasn't shouting anything about fire, but reported seeing flame from one engine. What crew continues the takeoff after V1 if the airplane is flyable? Most, because it's the right thing to do.
What happened here isn't yet known, and may be left on it's own merits. Suffice it to say,however, that you can bet I'm going flying after V1 if I'm told I'm on fire. I don't know how many engine failures or fires you've experienced, if you're talking based on experience or not, but I am, and I have. And I didn't stop or panic. I believe most crews would act the same. I make that statement without regard to what happened in Brussels, because we have no idea what happened there, yet. I make no judgement regarding that crew as I know nothing of their circumstances.
Windows cracking because the aircraft turns 90 degrees on the ground? You're assuming a loss of body gear and nose gear steering, then? You've seen this happen? You were taxiing without body gear and nose gear steering? fact is that with body gear steering, the airplane turns 180 degrees in 153', and without it the turn radiusis increased by only 20'. No extra drama involved. Cracking windows from turn? Not likely, even at 833,000 lbs.
The 747-249F was commissioned and launched by my airline FTL and, after jacking and jacking and adding big engines got the weight up to 820,000 T/O. It had beefed up gear and beefed up flooring paid by the gov in exchange for a program I'm probably wise not to discuss here. An amazing machine at the time in that it could carry both 250,000 pounds of fuel and 250,000 pounds of freight if the runway was long enough. We were upset, anytime the runway was not at least 10,000 ft long (sorry, you chaps may have to convert units.)
I'm not upset when the runway is less than 10,000', but I act in accordance with the published data to arrive at a conclusion. Longer is always better, but there's no reason to cry for a runway less than ten grand. Just to carry less, should the need arise.
The airplane in question (Brussels) was a factory-built freighter, a nose-loader, and had Q motors installed. It did not have a secret floor built by the government, and there's nothing about this airplane that couldn't be discussed were it not the subject of an investigation (where things are really best left alone until the appropriate authority is done investigating). No top secret cargo. No secet agents. No special government program. The airplane was certified for an 820,000 lb takeoff. We have no idea what it's actual takeoff weight was.