How does an airplane survive a lightning bolt?

Answer 1

ANSWER:Two reasons. The shape of the plane and the plane is not grounded to anything while in flight. As lightning approaches a plane, it may hit it but the electricity will pass around the circular tube of the plane and continue past without harming the plane or the passengers inside. Its similar to the reason a bird can land on a wire and even though the wire may have 13000 volts running through it, the bird feels nothing at all.

Improved Answer:

Lightning can strike and does affect planes. If a plane is skinned with conductive material such as aluminum, the lightning will do little physical damage and pass around and through the plane. The plane's electrical circuits may be overloaded or otherwise damaged, however, which could impair the pilots' ability to control the plane.

However, if the skin of the aircraft is made of a non-conductive material, such as composite material which is expensive but popular for its strength-to-weight ratio, significant burn damage can be done to the plane itself at where the lightning 'enters' the plane and where it exits.

Answer 2

Airplanes are designed to withstand lightning strikes by using materials that conduct electricity around the aircraft's exterior, then safely out of the plane. Additionally, the plane's fuel tanks are grounded to prevent ignition. The energy from the lightning strike disperses over the surface of the aircraft, allowing it to continue flying safely.

Answer 3

Static wicks, which are attached to the trailing edges of control surfaces are designed to help dissipate this charge to the surrounding air. Static wicks protect not only our flight instruments and radios but also the flight surfaces themselves. Without the static wicks attached, the static charge on the surface would try to "jump" the unconductive control hinges to the rest of the aircraft. This "jump" or arc could cause permanent damage to the surface itself if the static charge had the opportunity to build sufficiently. To further protect against this damaging "jump", manufacturers also attach conductive bonding strips to keep the static build-up to a minimum.

These little things is what makes a plane able to be struck by lightning, and most of the time unaffected by the impact.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE: The above answer may be too technical, but then I'm not a pilot. In simple terms, a metal-bodied aircraft will have the lightning strike one part of the plane, travel around the plane on the exterior surface, and then exit the plane from some other point or multiple points. The current will not pass through the people inside the plane because all the metal surrounding them shields them.

Google "faraday cage" and you'll see examples of huge lighting bolts hitting a metal cage or wire-covered booth with a man inside. The man is not hurt because the electricity goes around the walls surrounding him, not into the interior of the metal cage.

Answer 4

Generally, yes. Aircraft don't have a "path to ground", so there is no particular attraction of lightning to aircraft.

However, lightning does occasionally strike aircraft, and sometimes causes some damage to the fuselage of the plane. While flying a routine patrol mission over the north Pacific Ocean, our US Navy P-3 Orion patrol aircraft was struck by lightning, which fried our aircraft's radar system and sent a ball of "ball lightning" bouncing down the aisle to the tail. Quite impressive, and it caused some costly damage, but no injuries.

Answer 5

Most airplanes can survive lightning strikes due to their thick strong skin and high altitudes. Airplanes are very safe to fly and they get rid the waste of human lives because they are extremely well maintained and cannot break into pieces that easily. Airplanes only take 4 to 7% damage of lightning strikes and they can also handle as much turbulence than you think. Airplanes are over-built with several layers of thick and strong skin, with very strong illuminum skin and with very strong titanium skin (with more than 5 layers). Airplanes can handle more than 150% damage of lightning strikes and they are not very easy to damage. It is like taking an assault rifle and try to fire at an airplane, airplanes can take more than assault rifle 40 bullets without even crashing. A lot of airplanes can fly high above clouds, that is another way for airplanes to survive lightning strikes. Lightning strikes can only be caused by clouds below (it is impossible for lightning strikes to be caused by clouds above) but airplanes have abilities to fly higher above all clouds!

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Uhh..you described a tank, not an airplane.

Airplanes survive lightning strikes in several ways.

The most important is the plane's outer skin (there's only one and it's usually made from aluminum) has no gaps. This keeps the lightning on the outside of the plane. They also make the skin over the fuel tanks very thick so it can't be burned through, and shield the wiring so lightning won't destroy it.

The best way for an airplane to survive a lightning strike is not to fly into a thunderstorm.

Answer 6

because the plane flies in the layer of atmosphere below the layer where all the weather phenomenon such as thunder and lightning take place...i think

Answer 7

I have heard that lightning doesn't strike rubber because they don't attract. Since, airplanes have rubber on their wheels, a lightning bolt won't strike it. Hope that helps!!

Answer 8

The metal car frame conducts and roots the lightning in to the ground. Of course, if you're in the car and you are touching the metal on the doors, you will be electrocuted

Answer 9

Airplanes do get hit by lightning, but it usually does not cause major damage.

Answer 10

The lightning is dissipated off the rear of the wings by special wires.