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stickyvicky
03 Aug 15 02:23
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Date Joined: 24 Aug 11
| Topic/replies: 11,827 | Blogger: stickyvicky's blog
How does a metal aeroplane wing part 'float' 2 and a half thousand miles on the sea for two years.?
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Report Gnarley August 3, 2015 5:04 AM BST
Δℓ = αℓ0ΔT
ΔA = 2αA0ΔT
ΔV = 3αV0ΔT

Prety basic sh1t really.
Report Make my hay August 3, 2015 5:07 AM BST
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLug8kfZpq8
Report Ramruma August 3, 2015 5:19 AM BST
Wings are largely hollow. HTH.
Report lfc1971 August 3, 2015 9:13 AM BST
How does a metal boat float.
Report lfc1971 August 3, 2015 9:16 AM BST
How does an aeroplane fly, they have a theory but the honest answer is they are not really sure. ( something to do with the ventuiri principle is the usual answer)
Report lfc1971 August 3, 2015 9:29 AM BST
Until recently it was impossible for a bumblebee to fly.
Report dunlaying August 3, 2015 9:58 AM BST
Good question. Has it got air filled cells as part of its integral structure?
Report Foinavon August 3, 2015 10:26 AM BST
Archimedes Principle. Crunch up a piece of aluminium foil, it will float in a cup of water.

The wing part was easily picked up so probably weighed less than 20kgs. It would only have to displace 20 kgs of seawater, about 20 litres, in order to float. There was more than 20 litres of air trapped inside the box structure otherwise it would have sunk to the bottom.
Report breadnbutter August 3, 2015 11:21 AM BST
Flaperon is a naturally buoyant surface due to high composite material used for its construction .The structure is hollow from the inside further enhancing buoyancy . The hollow encasing contains mostly pockets of air. In older aircraft, the entire structure was made of aluminum and metal alloys, but over the years, composite materials started to replace metal alloys in flight control devices of aircraft. Use of carbon-composite materials helps increase the life of the component and improves resistance to weather and external pressures on the surface.

More interesting is the apparent damage to this flaperon ,which will be indentified as coming from MH370 ( IMO ),the composite material will break up in a certain mannor at a certain angle ,the fibres will reveal a lot and a angle and speed deductions on impact will be made and these  might well reveal a lot as to what really happened to this flight .
have a look at the ocean currents for the Indian Ocean and its not so revealing ,appears the general current is anti clock ,in fact the wing could have come from several places ,moved a fair distance although the presence of other debris would suggest maybe not that far.

Interesting that this part was first seen in may ,along with a plane seat and some suitcases that were full ,the seat was  burnt according  to reports ,the chap who done this was employed to clean the beaches and thats what he done ,seat ,flaperon ,cases all in the same area says to me crash site not that far imo ,but just a hunch ,could also be that flotsome/jetsome from a large area gather here ,although i would think that would be correct for objects of a similar density ,full suitcases would not be similar to a floating wing and this suggests landing /crash site not that far IMO .

Damage to flapperon could have been done in the sea but looks like the damage might suggest this plane was under some sort of control when it landed imo ,flap down increasing drag and lift ,not sure ....not many experts saying much ...hmmmmm

MH370 did not find its way around all the radar and along the borders and edges of radar and countries on its own .
If the damage to flaperon was caused by some sort of controlled landing or attempt at a controlled landing it could raise more questions than it answers ....CCDA need to get their arse into gear here imo .
Report FlowerMyth August 3, 2015 11:24 AM BST
How could a flaperon have kept afloat for so long?

A: The high use of composites makes the flaperon a naturally buoyant surface. Flotation is further enhanced because its structure is hollow from the inside. The hollow encasing contains mostly pockets of air. In older aircraft, the entire structure was made of aluminum and metal alloys, but over the years, composite materials started to replace metal alloys in flight control devices of aircraft. Use of carbon-composite materials helps increase the life of the component and improves resistance to weather and external pressures on the surface.


C+P from the Wall Street Journal.
Report Foinavon August 3, 2015 1:38 PM BST
The high use of composites makes the flaperon a naturally buoyant surface.

Still needs the air pockets in order to float though.
SG carbon composites usually around 1.6
SG Aluminium ~ 2.7
SG Magnesium ~ 1.7

So all main materials used have a higher density than water.
Report egner August 3, 2015 1:48 PM BST
...maybe it was thrown into the sea from Diego Garcia....

..in which case it would not have had so far to travel!!Wink
Report HH Sultan Vinegar August 3, 2015 1:49 PM BST
I thought it was just a case of the upthrust equal in magnitude to the volume of the fluid displaced by the wing.
Report Foinavon August 3, 2015 1:53 PM BST
Exactly Sultan. Eureka!
Report HH Sultan Vinegar August 3, 2015 1:55 PM BST
well that's what floats my boat! Happy
Report Foinavon August 3, 2015 2:00 PM BST
Strictly, upthrust equals the weight of the fluid displaced but in pure water 1 litre = 1kg
Report breadnbutter August 3, 2015 2:23 PM BST
1500 miles from Diego Garcia and not sure the prevailing currents would take it direct to reunion ,in reality it  would be more  like a Ryan air flight ,random start point ,travel all over the place before  arriving at another random  point
Report Clouseau August 3, 2015 6:43 PM BST
Sometimes the answer is staring us in the face.

The piece of debris was actually a canoe designed, by illegal immigrants, to look like part of an aeroplane, in the full knowledge that it, and its contents would be flown to Paris for analysis by the authorities, whence the illegals scarpered, under cover of darkness, and joined the "swarm" at Calais... they are probably sipping cappuccinos at a guest-house in Kent by now... AT THE EXPENSE OF THE BRITISH TAXPAYER.Shocked
Report egner August 3, 2015 8:14 PM BST
...the question at this start of this thread.......

...and the subsequent answers has a bearing on another mystery don't ya think...
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