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Old 25th Oct 2017, 18:01
  #37 (permalink)  
tdracer
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 68
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What exactly do you think Window metal frame and near hole reinforcement are? Structural elements perhaps?
They are structural elements of the windows. MOST of the weight of a fuselage isn't the skin and window surrounds - it's stringers, bulkheads, keel beam, floor and floor support. I've seen airframes going through D-check with all the skin and window surrounds removed - there is still a LOT there, which makes up the lions share of the strength and weight.
The formula you so proudly point at doesn't account for all that other stuff, except in a secondary manner (yes, lighter skin means some of the other structure gets lighter, but not by 25%). While the aircraft skin is a structural element - it's not the primary structure.
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