Tape for everything?

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Who knows what happened there. It could really be a no-brainer moment.

What is really for sure, is that unprofessional journalism stroke once again: How could the passenger have seen the procedure of tape-sealing? From inside the passenger's cabin? Impossible. From the terminal? Not likely. While embarking? He must have been very perceptive.

Simple people's opinions taking more space in the article than the journalist's is a new practice which I really despise.
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
Well, the Mythbusters recently repaired an airplane that was destroyed by a bear with duct tape. And it still worked fairly well:



Then, if that wasn't enough, they proceeded to remove the rest of the original coating and replaced it all with duct tape:



Believe it or not, it still flew! So I think repairing a window with duct tape isn't too unbelievable. Sure, the super cub doesn't go as fast, and doesn't fly as high as the Ryanair planes do, but it should still give you an idea of how useful duct tape can be :D
 

RiJoRI

Joined Aug 15, 2007
536
"Passengers watched in horror as ground crew put the tape around the edge of the windscreen shortly before take-off..."

Yet they got ON the plane, despite being horrified? I got a nice bridge to sell those folk. All OWS people have been removed from it...

--Rich
 

Sparky49

Joined Jul 16, 2011
833
I have to say that this is what comes out of The Sun. People who have no idea about engineering or the actual damage commentating in horror about said event.

It doesn't say what the problem was. If it was just some weather seal then why not use a bit of duct tape to make the journey more comfortable for the pilots?

Alot of the 'horror' in the story comes from the use of language though. I bet most people could make any sort of repair process sound unsafe. Welding, for example;

"shock and horror as passengers find out that their plane is held together by thin strips of slightly melted metal!"

Just winds me up no end...
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Well, the Mythbusters recently repaired an airplane that was destroyed by a bear with duct tape. And it still worked fairly well:
Thats completely different. On the windsheild its gonna take 100% of the wind speed hitting it. On sideways its only taking about 20% of the load from the wind. Plus a jet vs a prop is a huge speed difference.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
As for the article they were probably using the special racing tape they use to repair race cars that have been damaged. Looks like a big black fruit roll up. Its way way way stronger then duct tape or (200mph tape)
 

Thread Starter

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

What about the low temperatures at the higher altitudes?
The glue of the tape might freeze and loose its power.

Bertus
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
I saw a jet medical plane tape the wind shield,I ask the question about
safety.We do It all the time,he explained about the pressure. That was Fla.
to the Islands,don't know about cold weather.
 
Last edited:

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
I've played with some 3M tape where if it was left on for a year or so, it'd pull the paint off rather than peeling away cleanly.

Some of the newer tape adhesives are nothing short of amazing, and have prices to match.
 
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