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Old 11th Nov 2002, 21:07
  #52 (permalink)  
WOK
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: UK
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Since I'm here I'll try to do so in NW1's absence.

No Concorde fuel tank has ever been penetrated by tyre debris.

There were early incidents, as I have already stated, where WHEELs failed and debris punctured the tanks, resulting in small holes and leaks - orders of magnitude smaller than the Gonesse a/c. Also as previously related, the WHEELS were changed to prevent reoccurrence, successfully.

In the Gonesse accident the tank blew OUT, the mechanism being a hydraulically transmitted shock initiated by a very large piece of tyre rubber slapping the tank, precipitated by a hitherto unkown tyre failure mode. This created a massive fuek leak, VASTLY bigger than the early rim debris incidents. The rate allowed for the formation of an aerosol of kerosene which was capable of causing a massive fire......we know the rest.

The source of ignition has never been absolutely determined, but the reheats were ruled out. This was a bit of a surprise, initially, to all, but reasonably early in the investigation enough evidence, experimental and documentary, was put forward to prove this was the case. In the absence of an absolute answer all other conceivable sources were examined and several airframe and operational changes made to eliminate all feasible scenarios.

The only limitations on fuel jettison with reheats engaged is on which tanks you jettison from, in order to maintain fuel flow to the engines and reheats. I would have no problem with dumping while reheats are lit if circumstances require. (Again).

All of the above is in the public domain, mostly in the accident report.

To go back to my otiginal posting, a media frenzy wrt the initial wheel failures would no more have prevented Gonesse than the worldwide interest in the Comet 1 breakups prevented the JAL 747 disaster. (And, possibly it would seem, the recent Korean loss).
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