Is this picture real (duct tape on plane wing)
Sep 2, 2009, 11:44 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Pitot tubes are covered for maintenance and re-painting. If they aren't uncovered (or blocked, iced over, etc) then the aircraft will lack airspeed, altitude, and vertical airspeed. At night this can often lead to crashes. Particularly if pilots and radar controllers lack the basic knowledge of how radar receives accurate altitudes.
Sep 2, 2009, 1:29 pm
#17
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Before folks get too worked up, I don’t think the tape is there to remedy a structural problem, but rather to keep moisture from impregnating the composite material due to a crack or scratch in the surface paint. It looks bad, but nothing to be concerned about.
Sep 3, 2009, 11:17 am
#19
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Don't get worried aout it. This is a standard supply item in the aircraft engineer's stores, called High-Speed Tape or Ripstop Tape. It is fully certified by the aviation authorities up to the airspeeds and temperatures it will encounter. There's some on the majority of aircraft, unless they are absolutely brand new.
Don't call it Duct Tape, it bears no relation apart from appearence. Significant price dfferential, and you need to be certified in its use to apply it. Some airlines have it coloured to match their liveries.
Correct
Nonsense. Cannot recall an incident arising from this. Engineers have a procedure when they block/unblock them for maintenance. Crew check them during their walkaround before each flight. Finally, every flight as you go down the runway there's an airspeed cross-check between the multiple instruments, if they differ then you pull up, go back to the gate, and get it fixed.
Don't call it Duct Tape, it bears no relation apart from appearence. Significant price dfferential, and you need to be certified in its use to apply it. Some airlines have it coloured to match their liveries.
Pitot tubes are covered for maintenance and re-painting. If they aren't uncovered (or blocked, iced over, etc) then the aircraft will lack airspeed, altitude, and vertical airspeed.
At night this can often lead to crashes.
Sep 3, 2009, 11:44 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 215
Nonsense. Cannot recall an incident arising from this. Engineers have a procedure when they block/unblock them for maintenance. Crew check them during their walkaround before each flight. Finally, every flight as you go down the runway there's an airspeed cross-check between the multiple instruments, if they differ then you pull up, go back to the gate, and get it fixed.
Sep 3, 2009, 12:58 pm
#22
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I'd be worried. But I take comfort that this is on the "unusual accident" page. 
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/unusual.htm
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/unusual.htm
As a prank, a captain riding in the jump seat engaged the gust lock in flight. The command pilot, not knowing the gust lock had been engaged, rolled the elevator trim tab with no response. When the jump seat captain disengaged the gust lock, the aircraft went into into a steep dive, executed part of an outside roll and become inverted. Neither the command nor jump seat captain had seat belts on and they accidentally feathered No. 1, 2 and 4 engines when they hit the controls with their heads. No one realized it at the time but the feathering reduced power and allowed the co-pilot, who was strapped in, to pull out of the dive 350 feet from the ground.
Sep 7, 2009, 5:13 pm
#24
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That stuff is actually NOTHING like duct tape. I see the stuff close up all the time. It's actually a metalic stripping about half the gauge of an aluminum soda can with strong adhesive on one side. It's used for very minor temporary damage repairs. The stuff is actually very good. Don't sweat it if you see a piece of it on a plane you're flying, it's not "tape" like you think of it.
Sep 8, 2009, 2:08 am
#26
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How much does it go for (3M link answered that question 
)? Since its 'better then duct tape' wonder if it would be good in a survival kit, or just lying around the house for misc repairs?
Otherwise, as safe as it sounds... I would prefer to not be on that A/C...
)? Since its 'better then duct tape' wonder if it would be good in a survival kit, or just lying around the house for misc repairs?Otherwise, as safe as it sounds... I would prefer to not be on that A/C...
Sep 8, 2009, 12:46 pm
#28
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My home airport had a 747-400 visitor last week that eventually ferried out with the #1 reverser speed taped into position after the sleeve mechanism failed on touchdown. I tried to get a picture with my phone but it was too dark for the speed tape to show up clearly.
Sep 8, 2009, 1:37 pm
#29
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Wingtips- are there issues with them getting damaged, or are they just the furthest out object on that side of the A/C?
I would rather see the hi speed tape on one of those, then holding a mechanical part... Or worse 
Originally Posted by WHBM
I'd just like to advise that I have just signed out, and flown, an aircraft with four separate areas of application of Hi-Speed tape, notably on the wingtips.
And I'm here to write about it.
And I'm here to write about it.
I would rather see the hi speed tape on one of those, then holding a mechanical part... Or worse