Raimo, The material I have in mind is aluminium mesh of the sort that could
be used as radiator grills in home built cars. A 5cm strip of this could be
fitted right down the close outs to the rear lift pins and across the
strengthening bar. It would not weigh a lot, but would have conducting
capacity much in excess of Nav light wires (which seem to have served as
lightning conductors for a number of victims), and most importantly would
encourage the course of the strike to be outside structures that matter in
flight - at least that's the way I see it and it appears to be what the UK
CAA experts have said is desirable for gliders. Regards, David Joyce,
G-XSDJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Raimo Toivio" <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: An another incident for Finnish Europa around
Barkaby Fly-inn Sweden (!).
Thanks David for participation.
> less than a kg. What do you think?
I think those are almost useless, sorry.
I point that is my opinion only.
In the other hand maybe delusion influence will help. Or psychologikal.
When you get a little hits those traps may save your radios etc.
If you get a full strike it is like a bomb and your world will explode.
Some conduits will not help then.
Only help is to stop flying totally - you can be sure then you wont meet
thunder king any more in the plane.
2nd best way is to avoid CBs
3rd best way is to fly by metal plane.
I know one Lancair-builder who wrapped his wonderful composite missile to
the copper net.
He laminated copper net over all the outside surfaces.
The calculated weight penalty with extra epox was about 75 kgs /170 lbs
So he made some kind of faraday cage over his plastic plane - maybe that
helps in some cases.
I estimate a laminated copper cage for Europa will be about 45 kgs /100 lbs.
Some people trust also for "static whics" to protect the plane. I do not
know.
Some people are hunging rubber strings from their cars to prevent travel
sickness.
Some people put an axe under their bed to get boys (I have not and got
"only" girls).
Today I believe there was a high tension between those two thunder centres.
I flied between them.
Sudden heavy rain released it.
We got our electric shocks during the same seconds the rain started.
It was immediately zero visibility fore - few seconds before the visibility
was 20 km or so.
Luckily it was a horisontal strike and so small, that I can be here and
laugh.
Lets call it "Sweet St. Elmos fire" or what so ever.
I have checked carefully my plane and results are as follows:
- broken trim position indicator (led modell).
- broken stbd side pip-pin adhesive cover (almost free).
- black pip-pin head (do not trust it any more).
I my hand there are already a new indicator and a pip-pin from one great
fellow builder.
OH-XRT will fly soon - but far away from CB`s
(you can be sure about that and we all should avoid them, please).
Raimo
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Joyce" <davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk>
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: An another incident for Finnish Europa around
Barkaby Fly-inn Sweden (!).
> <davidjoyce@doctors.org.uk>
>
> Raimo, Congratulations on your cool response (only 150bpm!) and survival!
> I hate lightning. Always find myself thinking about the UK glider
> whose
> wing actually blew apart. In thinking how to prepare my plane for a trip
> to
> Australia (where close encounters with lightning are almost inevitable) I
> came across the attached in a 2001 CAA paper on lightning protection, (the
> earlier pages were all about tin aircraft), which says:
> 4 Gliders. Attention should be given to these aircraft, especially
> those of non metallic structure, and bonding straps should be installed
> between the extremities to conduct any strike away from the flying
> controls.
> A point to remember is that bonding should run as straight as possible
> avoiding loops formed by excess lengths at, for example, transport joints,
> since a lightning strike will jump across any sharp loops or bends.
> Before I head off to Asia, I plan to put aluminium mesh right along
> the aileron and flap close outs joining to the rear lift pin to allow wing
> tip to wing tip lightning travel, and probably also a similar strap from
> the
> engine frame along the tunnel to the tail wheel spring. Would weigh
> probably
> less than a kg. What do you think?
> Regards David Joyce, G-XSDJ, Mono XS
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Raimo Toivio" <raimo.toivio@rwm.fi>
> To: <europa-list@matronics.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 11:31 PM
> Subject: Europa-List: An another incident for Finnish Europa around
> Barkaby
> Fly-inn Sweden
>
>
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