"Orval Fairbairn" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"Luke" wrote:

"NoJags Neil" wrote in
message
...
Ahhh... very interesting... aluminium with iron oxide... thermite
reaction, anybody?

It was the fabric that caused the disaster, not the hydrogen.


Perhaps the hydrogen caused it, but the thermite reaction made it
historic.


Luke

Nope -- it was the nitrate dope that everybody used on fabric in those
days. The aluminum powder in the dope (for UV protection) would have
played only a minor role.


The whole thing was a flying tinder box imho... But as to the cause of
the disaster, I have a hard time seeing how nitrate dope alone can be
ignited buy a static spark. I've not done my own "mythbusters" review of
the events, but it seems that to me, (as an engineer and an A&P) that the
hydrogen gas was what would be easiest part of the pile to ignite, followed,
albiet very closely, by the dope covered fabric. Hydrogen gas burns with an
invisible flame and we have all seen the motion pictures of that day... The
glaring lack of other dope and fabric covered aircraft burting into flames
should be anecdotal evidence to support the established scenario that the
hydrogen gas was the real culprit. The dope, iron and aluminum just made it
more spectacular.


Luke