Message-Id: <200106201900.PAA4146315@nslocum.cs.bell-labs.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 15:00:24 -0400
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
From: "Rae McLellan" <rae@research.bell-labs.com>
Subject: lightning strikes
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com

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Thanks Marv,  I checked out the site, http://www.lightningtech.com/
and found this under the FAQ on aviation:

> A growing new class of kit-built composite aircraft also raises some
> concerns. Because owner-assembled, kit-built aircraft are considered
> by the FAA to be "experimental", they are not subject to lightning
> protection regulations. Many kit-built planes are made of fiberglass
> or graphite-reinforced composites. At Lightning Technologie's
> laboratory, we routinely test protected fiberglass and composite
> panels with simulated lightning currents. The results of these tests
> show that lightning can damage inadequately  protected composites.
> Pilots of unprotected fiberglass or composite aircraft should not
> fly anywhere near a lightning storm or in other types of clouds,
> because  non-thunderstorm clouds may contain sufficient electric
> charge to produce lightning.  NASA has a Small Business Innovation
> Research project for the development of cost-effective lightning
> protection for kit-built aircraft. Conducted by Stoddard-Hamilton
> Aircraft, Inc. and Lightning Technologies, Inc., the program
> designed and tested lightning protection against severe in-flight
> strikes for Stoddard Hamilton's fiberglass composite Glasair III LP,
> a small high-performance, kit-built aircraft.

I could buy the $99 book, attend the $1575 4-day course on aircraft,
or the $1575 4-day course on avionics.  But how many lancair builders
have done that?  Perhaps I'll wait for the Osh seminar... ;)

Anyone care to describe specific lightning protection systems or
building techniques used in their own kitplane construction?
			thanks,
			Rae McLellan

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LML website:   http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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