[DeTomaso] Pantera vs. Saturn drag race AT BIG BEND

[michael at michaelshortt.com]

Same question, now with even more confusion, knowing that foam is far less
dense than ice, the speed differential just doesn't seem possible in so
short a space/time and esp given that the total speed wasn't that great at
the time of contact.  Just curious how something can "slow down" 500 mph in
20-30 feet in less than 1 sec.  and with little mass - then still have
enough energy to maintain trajectory right through metal, etc.

Just never made sense to me that the sims were done at 500 mph, birds hit
Jets sometimes at greater speeds and unless it's a windshield /cabin
intrusion or caused a turbine failure, you never hear anything about it.

Yeah, you would have though that an inspection would be conducted in space,
even CDL Semi Truck drivers do a walk around after they hook up a new load,
and I've never flown with a pilot who didn't walk around a plane, do the
fuel test, etc, before taking off.  We even had a aircraft type checklist
for the race cars before every event.

But this is the same culture that noticed burned O rings on Challenger and
was so head up the ass frightened of losing their jobs that they never said
anything about it.

As Alan Shepard said, there is no comfort in knowing that you are sitting on
top of a collection of parts all supplied by the lowest bidder!

Michael








On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 3:07 PM, michael frazier <red3644 at hotmail.com> wrote:

>   Those sims were done here in San Antonio.  It was foam, not ice.  The
> foam came off fairly soon after launch, still in
> relatively dense atmosphere.  The leading edge of the wing where the strike
> took place is surprisingly delicate.  What we
> never understood was...the ice and foam seperation and strike issue was
> known since the first test launches.  You'd think
> a post launch inspection of some kind would have been in order on all
> flights.  Hindsight.
>
>   Pantera Content:  Any other flat black Panteras coming to Big Bend?  Any
> Panteras?
>
> Michael
> Gruppo Rompiculi Corsa
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> It's the same Hotmail(R). If by "same" you mean up to 70% faster. Get your
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>



-- 







Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390


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