Boeing 747 survives simulation bomb blast
The point isn't the lack of security but the test of a 747 hull versus explosives. Security will always be needed as will the advance in technology to detect such devices, but what the test did show was how strong the fuesalage actually is - hopefully detering in some way future (similar) attacks. If the results of this test increase public confidence in flying that can only be a good thing for the future of aviation!
We are dealing with general ignorance at the public's level. Blowing things up just reinforces their fear that they are at risk from even their seat mates. We certainly aren't going to educate the bomb makers who know how to capture the publics attention with the tiniest of bombs even if all they do is blow there own nuts off in the middle of the inflight meal.
Those in aviation already know how tolerant the aircraft is or isn't so we didn't need the test. This is all PR and the bad guys will always win at this with their next trick even if it's all smoke.
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I agree, there will always be a threat to aviation with it being a high profile industry. Damage limitation is the best we can hope for, but the loss of public confidence will damage the aviation Industry far worse than any 'underpant bomber'.
If the program and test for all it's worth did restore a modicom of confidence to those fearful of such atrocities - that has to be good...no?
If the program and test for all it's worth did restore a modicom of confidence to those fearful of such atrocities - that has to be good...no?
If the program and test for all it's worth did restore a modicom of confidence to those fearful of such atrocities - that has to be good...no?
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Anthony writes:
Yes, but they did that on the ground, where the ratio of inside to outside pressure was much smaller than it would be at altitude, and the outside air density was much higher, so their tests are not necessarily representative of what would happen at high altitudes.
Yes, but they did that on the ground, where the ratio of inside to outside pressure was much smaller than it would be at altitude, and the outside air density was much higher, so their tests are not necessarily representative of what would happen at high altitudes.
Watch the 'If it's not Boeing I'm not going' brigade fill this thread up. Yaaaaaawwwwwn.
But, if you insist we talk about this, I'll take a 737 minus the crown over over first class any day.
Possible they did seal off that part of the fuselage since I didn't see any explosive gases escaping from the doors. However, agree that unpressurised it's not a representative test.
They're completely wrong, of course. Because the fuse was unsealed, there was no effect from the sheer increase in pressure caused by the explosion.
I think you're missing the point. This is obviously aimed at the average wannabe terrorist who might think again about blowing their nob off in the name of allah if it's not going to take down the aircraft, and hasn't got the relevant knowledge of relative atmospheric pressure, etc.
The wannabe terrorists don't really think about their knobs much, if they did they would certainly be asking more (and more pointed) questions about the 72 virgins awaiting them in the afterworld.
Questions like "what do they look like? why are they still virgins? how come there are 72 of them just for me, are they like, common, or what?"
And now Mr Terrorist knows to bring more bang with him for the next attempt
Why anyone thinks this was an inept attempt at blowing up a flight is beyond me. They know exactly how to do it. They don't bother to go all the way, because setting some poor sap up on a mission which will just burn half his johnson off gets the same job done.
Terror. Sheer, media-fueled terror. Knee-jerk reactions. Comments in forums... Oh - did I say that?
The test was also conducted in a stripped back airframe, where all internal panels/Insulation/Sound prrofing etc had been stripped away, and the skin still contained the blast.
That would have produced something more than the cute little skin wiggles we saw in the long view when the "test" explosive was detonated.
This is all PR and the bad guys will always win at this with their next trick even if it's all smoke.
Best comment so far, besides this one.
Let's just be glad we had some pax and some CC who were quick to respond.
The FD folks did what they were supposed to do, which is keep flying the plane.
The US FAM were apparently doing what they're paid to do, which is ride and monitor "some" flight or another, but it didn't happen to be this one.
And the terrorists did what they do best - they scared the sh*t out of us again, by simply de-nutting one of their own and giving him up for bait. The net result is that your grandmother might now become a pornstar of the "grainy, nightshot" type the next time she puts her tired old pu...
Puts her tired old self on a flight to come see you.
Everything else is window dressing.
RR
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Bryan G
I am puzzled as to what this expensive excercise was supposed to prove- it strikes me as totally irrelevant to the real world - B747s do not fly around unpressurised with the doors removed.
