From: "Jon Carlson" <jon@carlsonhome.com>
To: "LML" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Subject: Carbon fiber crash/burn characteristics - any data?
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 21:25:52 -0700
Message-ID: <EGEKJCEHGGMPNGLKDEOKOENECLAA.jon@carlsonhome.com>
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Hi all,

Don't want to be depressing, but... I just saw the following video of a
crash a couple days ago of the maiden voyage of a Lionheart experimental
biplane made out of carbon composites:

http://www.seattleinsider.com/partners/kirotv/news/2001/05/25/crash.html

I have admittedly very little exposure to aircraft accidents, however, the
rate of burn of the airplane is pretty surprising (shocking). I know I
wouldn't want to be in that plane (especially trying to get any passengers
like my little kids out) while it was burning. While I have no real
knowledge of whether metal airplanes burn slower or not, if that rate of
burn is DUE to the carbon, it seems a cautionary tale when considering a
Lancair.

So - the composite construction certainly didn't cause the crash, but would
it have caused or enhanced the rate of burn?

It could be that the Lionheart design fabricated in aluminum would've burned
the same way. Hard to tell without extensive testing and data. Anyone know
of any burn testing data that would actually show how carbon composites
compare to aluminum (or other alternatives)?

-Jon C.

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