[geeks] Re: the Hindenburg disaster....

[Greg A. Woods]

[ On Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 23:40:50 (-0700), Geoff Reed wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: [geeks] Re: the Hindenburg disaster....
>
> I saw it, that's why I mentioned the powdered aluminum.....  looking at the 
> footage, in slomo, it was a lightning strike that hit it, igniting the 
> skin...... and since powdered aluminum burns.... (that's why some rocket 
> motors use it as a fuel)... Pouf.

Hmmm... I didn't think I saw anything about lightning in the documentary
I saw, but then I may have flipped away to check the news or something
during a commercial and missed it before I came back.

I really can't remember if it was on TLC or Discovery, but it was only a
few weeks ago.

In the program I saw they showed enhanced images from original film
reels that indicated a couple of water tanks, and something else that
the experts thought must have been a fuel tank falling out of the front
portion before flames were visible on the outside at the tail end.  They
also were pretty certain the engines were well over-heated, and diesel
fuel ignites easily on a hot surface.  They think the tanks fell because
there was some evidence recorded in an inspection report done just
before it set off for the USA of rust on the steel structural wires that
held it together, and also of some missing/loose rivets on some members
of the aluminium infrastructue.  There was no record of repairs, and
IIRC even indications that repairs could not have been done, before it
took off.

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

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