Planes get hit dozens of times/year and they're designed to take it.
Nothing happens to the avionics. There's no difference of potential across
the equipment. The charge is quickly disappointed.
The little static discharge devices (that look like wires) on the trailing
edge of the wings discharge the static build up into the air like a ground
rod does in the ground.
In another life, I was a supplier to the avionics industry and our
fuselage-mounted radomes had to withstand lightning which were tested in a
simulated environment.
Bill, N3RR
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Ogden" <na9d@speakeasy.net>
To: "FireBrick" <w9ol@billnjudy.com>; "TowerTalk List"
<towertalk@contesting.com>
Cc: "John Fleming" <wa9als@starband.net>; "Kok Chen" <chen@mac.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 06, 2002 8:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Towertalk] lightning-slightly off topic
> on 10/6/02 6:21 AM, FireBrick at w9ol@billnjudy.com wrote:
>
> > But you may find this interesting. You'll notice the water tower in the
> > background isn't hit.
> >
> > http://lightning.pwr.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/lrg/temp/plane.html
>
> Amazing! I wonder how many times a year planes get hit and I wonder what
it
> does to the avionics. I know on a sailboat it can do all sorts of bad
> things to the instruments. I wonder on a plane, how the lightning gets
> dissipated. Maybe it acts strictly like a conductor since there was also
a
> discharge to ground.
>
> As for the water tower, I guess it must have been very well grounded. I
> guess it proves that good protection will help to prevent a strike from
even
> hitting you!
>
> 73,
>
> Jon
> NA9D
>
> -------------------------------------
> Jon Ogden
> NA9D (ex: KE9NA)
>
> Life Member: ARRL, NRA
> Member: AMSAT, DXCC
>
> http://www.qsl.net/ke9na
>
> "A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
>
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