ASW 27 destroyed by lightning in trailer

One unpredictable consequence of a fiberglass topped Cobra!
https://www-265.aig.com/AviationSalv...SalvageId=2911

As I understand it, lightning is seeking the path of least resistance to the ground. It went through the fiberglass trailer top and entered the ship at the top of the fin, question would be; where did it exit? The ship is sitting on rubber wheels (tail wheel and dolly wheels), so did it exit at the tail wheel into the aluminum floor, then to the rear legs, if they were down? Or, did it run the full length of the fuselage and exit through the saddle aluminum arms, then jump the rubber tires then into the floor out to the tongue and into the chains. To the tie-down point? Also, did it fry that good looking instrument panel on its way to ground? I believe other lightning strikes followed the metal push-rods, which offer less resistance than carbon fiber structure.
Food for thought, before placing your bid + that Cobra trailer is worth something close to 10K.
Cheers,
JJ

The attached letter from Schleicher reads:

---
Dear Rex,
This are quite impressive pictures. From my point of view, at least the fuselage is impossible to repair.
The lightning must have left the glider somewhere and everything in between might have damages. The
control system and also the carbon layers in the fuselage shell are conductive, so without destructive
investigations it seems not possible to determine what is damaged and what not. The best would be to
cut the fuselage in pieces. So the lightning damage could be investigated more in detail and this would
secure that this potential unsafe structure cannot brought back to service again.
The wings might be okay, if no traces of smoke or burnt areas were found. But finally this have to be
decided by the local inspector.
---


This is ASW-27 Serial # 27057 Registration N27UH

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 12:31:34 PM UTC-7, Tony wrote:
The attached letter from Schleicher reads...

...The best would be to cut the fuselage in pieces...

It's nice how they say the best thing would be to cut it up, but without offering to actually buy it for that purpose.

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 4:46:02 PM UTC-5, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 12:31:34 PM UTC-7, Tony wrote:
The attached letter from Schleicher reads...

...The best would be to cut the fuselage in pieces...

It's nice how they say the best thing would be to cut it up, but without offering to actually buy it for that purpose.

SAWZALL!!!!!!!

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 3:06:53 PM UTC-7, Steve Leonard wrote:
On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 4:46:02 PM UTC-5, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 12:31:34 PM UTC-7, Tony wrote:
The attached letter from Schleicher reads...

...The best would be to cut the fuselage in pieces...

It's nice how they say the best thing would be to cut it up, but without offering to actually buy it for that purpose.

SAWZALL!!!!!!!

Party at Bob's. Can we crowdfund it?

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 4:46:02 PM UTC-5, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 12:31:34 PM UTC-7, Tony wrote:
The attached letter from Schleicher reads...

...The best would be to cut the fuselage in pieces...

It's nice how they say the best thing would be to cut it up, but without offering to actually buy it for that purpose.

Why would Schleicher want to buy one of their own "toasted" gliders? A destructive tear down inspection by the engineering teams as an academic exercise? To what end? To design a fix to allow a glider to survive this seemingly rarest of event?

Question: Would a CF glider in an aluminum topped trailer have survived a lightning strike?

Expiring minds want to know (that happens to own a '27 stored in an aluminum Cobra trailer).

- John

I know of an aluminum glider that was struck by lightning once. The strike came through the wing cover at the wing tip and then jumped across the tire to the ground. I suspect the hit traveled along the skin, rather than internally (controls/spar/etc), as the glider was inspected and flew again quite quickly.

Any other stories (aside from a cottonwood tree on my property that has been hit TWICE!)?

To limit future liability?