AF Concorde loses a piece of its rudder
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arcniz
Wasn't really a rebuttal, more of an additional thought on my part. I don't particularly disagree with you. Sorry you took it to be such.
Stearperson
Jumping to conclusions, I see. I wasn't thinking about the Airbus (built, or should I say assembled, in Toulouse), but the B52 bomber that lost its tail over the Rockies 15 or so years ago... it landed safely. There is a picture of it about somewhere, if you can't find it I think I have a copy from an old magazine.
Wasn't really a rebuttal, more of an additional thought on my part. I don't particularly disagree with you. Sorry you took it to be such.
Stearperson
Jumping to conclusions, I see. I wasn't thinking about the Airbus (built, or should I say assembled, in Toulouse), but the B52 bomber that lost its tail over the Rockies 15 or so years ago... it landed safely. There is a picture of it about somewhere, if you can't find it I think I have a copy from an old magazine.
Raw data: I did not jump to any conclusion. I was just surprised be your previous post that made it sound like parts would not fall off Engligh or French aircraft.
The fact is aircraft made in all counties do from time to time shed important parts
Take Care, Stearperson
The fact is aircraft made in all counties do from time to time shed important parts
Take Care, Stearperson
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Well OK then.
Have to say, though, that from what I have been able to find out, parts fall off American aircraft far more regularly than was the case with Brit designs. They build 'em strong in the UK, which of course means heavy.
I remember a few years back, based in Brussels, noticing that every time a certain Aeroflot flight departed, it was followed immediately by a runway inspection. I thought it was co-incidence, but an Ops guy later showed me the collection of bits they had picked up from the runway after these flights departed- gear doors, access hatches and flaps, bits of brake unit, bits of tyre, all sorts of stuff...
Have to say, though, that from what I have been able to find out, parts fall off American aircraft far more regularly than was the case with Brit designs. They build 'em strong in the UK, which of course means heavy.
I remember a few years back, based in Brussels, noticing that every time a certain Aeroflot flight departed, it was followed immediately by a runway inspection. I thought it was co-incidence, but an Ops guy later showed me the collection of bits they had picked up from the runway after these flights departed- gear doors, access hatches and flaps, bits of brake unit, bits of tyre, all sorts of stuff...
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I know a few cases where duct tape has served well to aviod such embarassments - but am not sure one can purchase mach-rated DT anymore.
One or the other of the AAIB reports (cited above) points out the desirability of doing an inferential pattern analysis of the elevon and rudder segment bond integrity by correlating data from the available measurement methods and comparing the values for similar components across all measured samples and spares in the fleet. Some kind of predictive pattern would surely emerge from such elevated (yes) attention.
Would be interesting to know if this remedial testing was actually done, and if so, whether done for more than one testing methodology. Given the value of getting it right and the downside of getting it wrong on an unlucky day, I would think that threee or four different test methods applied with some frequency and compared point for point across the fleet would be a MINIMUM level of competent response to the observed component failures.
On the flip side, it might well be actionable as a notable breach of care if those who could do so failed to.
One or the other of the AAIB reports (cited above) points out the desirability of doing an inferential pattern analysis of the elevon and rudder segment bond integrity by correlating data from the available measurement methods and comparing the values for similar components across all measured samples and spares in the fleet. Some kind of predictive pattern would surely emerge from such elevated (yes) attention.
Would be interesting to know if this remedial testing was actually done, and if so, whether done for more than one testing methodology. Given the value of getting it right and the downside of getting it wrong on an unlucky day, I would think that threee or four different test methods applied with some frequency and compared point for point across the fleet would be a MINIMUM level of competent response to the observed component failures.
On the flip side, it might well be actionable as a notable breach of care if those who could do so failed to.
