PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Flaperon washes up on Reunion Island
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Old 30th Jul 2015, 10:05
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Could close examination by a metal specialist reveal a story about the stresses experienced by the piece and thus give some information of ditching vs high speed impact from high altitude...?
After that time in saltwater, it is quite hard to do any metallurgical analysis, corrosion will have destroyed most evidence.
Damage to trailing edge might be interesting though. Composites should still show whether it failed in tension or compression after contact with seawater. If lower skin failed in tension, upper in compression/bending, controlled ditching with deflected flaps becomes a realistic scenario.

At least something to analyse, so we can stop speculating.
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