RE: How the MH370 Flaperon Floated
October 21, 2015 at 1:52 am
(This post was last modified: October 21, 2015 at 1:52 am by Thumpalumpacus.)
(October 20, 2015 at 7:54 pm)mralstoner Wrote:(October 20, 2015 at 7:38 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote: How easy or hard is it to hack that data? And I assume you mean they stick the flaperon in a tunnel until it tore up, not off, because you'd just sais it'd been remover in that hypothesis.
What sort of wind speed would be needed to damage an integral piece like that?
No, you could easily construct a surrounding structure on which to remount the flaperon, so it could rip off at high speeds in a wind tunnel. I have no idea about wind speeds or wind tunnels. I know that NASA has some, so I presume that China/Russia has them.
I would imagine that the wind tunnels, which of course the Chinese and Russians both have built, would have to generate very high speeds in order to tear it off. Given that they help in controlling roll, they are likely built to endure the 560mph cruise speed of the 777, and are most likely stressed for a significantly higher speed. What sorts of wind tunnels do the Russians or Chinese have that can generate, say, 750mph?
(October 20, 2015 at 7:54 pm)mralstoner Wrote: How hard is it to hack the data? Tricky one. It requires a few conditions (1) access to the electronics bay via a hatch at the front of first class (2) you would need to plug in some fake hardware/software and (3) only certain planes and certain satellite units are hackable. So, it's not easy, but it is possible. The hackers would have to be very "sophisticated" and know exactly what plane they were hijacking.
What would happen to systems like INS in the downtime? Would a computer reboot be necessary? What would that do to the avionics?
I think the simpler explanation is that it fell into an ocean noted for its strong and unpredictable currents, broke up on impact, and most of the wreckage is likely at the seafloor.
