On Saturday, August 24, 2013 11:09:26 AM UTC-4, dave wrote:
On 08/24/2013 07:07 AM, Joe from Kokomo wrote:





Just how safe is a 50 year old flying machine?



On 8/23/2013 12:48 PM, D. Peter Maus wrote:



You'd be surprised.



Unlike automobiles, often underbuilt and subjected to a variety of

environmental and chemical abuses, and human inflicted abuses, including

ignored maintenance, harsh treatment by operators, poorly maintained

roads, and spotty repairs, aircraft are operated in a much less harsh

and/or hostile environment.



While mechanical stresses in aircraft are significantly more intense

than in automotive applications, aircraft systems are more robustly

built at points of stress, regularly more aggressively maintained, and

are not subjected to the horrors of salt, and environmental abuse.



Stresses?



I would respectfully point out the commercial airliner that had a

portion of the roof peeled off near Hawaii, ostensibly due to the

repeated pressurization of the hull. Also recall the Alaskan Airlines(?)

plane where the empennage failed due to stress.



I've gone up in much older aircraft many times with complete confidence.



Ditto. Been up numerous times in a Ford Tri-Motor (produced 1925-1933)

with nary a concern (other than going deaf). Also flew a C-54 Skymaster

to Texas and lived to tell the tale. :-D





This is silly. It reminds me of Reagan's use of battleships. The things

have 8 engines (not counting APUs) for crude missiles to lock on. They

are sitting ducks in the sky.

This is why SDI was created. To fight missiles with missiles .