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Holy. Crap. What idiots did this? Or FAILed to catch it?
oh my gosh i would be so scared lol D:
i’ve heard it called 100 mile an hour tape, but jeez!!!
That is not duct tape. That is special high-strength metallic tape that can be used to temporarily repair surface cracks in non-structural components.
You just described duct tape.
guys, calm down…it’s airframe tape. It’s incredible stuff. You put it on, hammer it to release the chemicals, then it bonds stronger than a weld. In the Royal Australian Air Force, the standard joke was:
“Why are our planes painted silver and green?”
“They’re not. They’re painted green. The rest’s tape!”
That’s puts a comforting thought for our Air Force… :S
That’s not duct tape. It’s called speed tape, and it’s about 1,000 times stronger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_tape
It gets used to temporarily fix planes all the time, and nothing bad comes of it.
So it’s still tape?……..
I was once on a flight where we were delayed taking off because, quote, “we are having some mechanical difficulties with the door and are waiting for ground crew to fix it”. The flight was completed, but as I was getting off the plane, I noticed silver tape strips hanging off the door. I sincerely hope that it is, as some of you say, the high-strength airframe tape, because it sure as heck looked like duct tape and alarmed me!
that part of the wing isn’t flight-critical anyway.
I thought every part of a plane was “flight-critical”… ??
nope,
the plane would even fly better if you just took out all the passenger chairs/utilities
I believe its safe to use that tape but I can’t believe they got away with it on a surface that can be seen out the windows. I would have thought the second they took off, some dumbass would be on the cellphone with the local tv news and 911 and it would turn into a huge news event.
I was once on a flight where we were delayed taking off because they couldn’t start one of the three engines. The pilot said that this was ok since the plane was more than capable of flying with two engines.
That whole winglet could break off and the plane would still be fine. Those things are just there for fuel economy.
Winglets are not just for fuel economy.
Winglets prevent the formation of wingtip vortices, which are a major drag component when travelling at slow speeds and high wing loading. Extra drag means more thrust required to maintain the desired flight profile.
Since “slow speeds and high wing loading” really only occur during takeoff and landing, fuel economy is a minor concern. The major concern is the extra thrust required. Remove the winglets and you might not have enough thrust to do what you want. Remove ONE winglet and now you have asymmetrical drag: NOT GOOD.
The plane is probably designed to be able to fly “safely” with a winglet broken off, but you sure be wishing you were on the ground.
@ Chris Cogdon
“Winglets are not just for fuel economy.
Winglets prevent the formation of wingtip vortices, which are a major drag component when travelling at slow speeds and high wing loading. Extra drag means more thrust required to maintain the desired flight profile.
Since “slow speeds and high wing loading” really only occur during takeoff and landing, fuel economy is a minor concern. The major concern is the extra thrust required. Remove the winglets and you might not have enough thrust to do what you want.”
And the need for more thrust means more fuel consumption. Thank you for explaining EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID in 200 words or less, without even adding a piece of new information in a desperate attempt to look smart.
That’s not correct, as he explained WHY fuel economy is the minor concern regarding this. It didn’t seemed to me like he was trying to be smart.
It looked really funny on the main page, great to know about the existance of such tape
Thank you for flying Air Practical Jokers…
I know from my brother (who used to fly helicopters for the US Army) that duct tape was used for emergency rotor fixes. If they whacked something on landing and took out a chunk of rotor blade, they used duct tape to rebalance the rotors to get home.
@Dustin
yah.. wing is totally a “non-structural” component.
@Dustin
Last time I was on a plane I saw a dude out the window before we took off putting it on the wing, nice to know it wasnt just ducktape!
That’s genuinely not a big deal.
Speed tape is not anything special, it’s just thin metal adhesive tape used to restore aerodynamic smoothness when aerodynamic sealant is eroded or missing. Why do we do that? Expedience. The sealant takes a couple hours to dry.
We do this all the time and it is absolutely nothing for passengers to be worried about. The airplane in the picture is a CRJ 200 and a very good, modern aircraft.
Yes, I’m an aircraft mechanic.
Flying commercial airlines (in America anyway) is very safe.
Woops, that’s not a CRJ200. Does no matter though, still nothing to be worried about.
Chris Cogdon, an asymmetric winglet configuration won’t produce NEARLY enough of a drag asymmetry to present any kind of control issues whatsoever. Indeed, many aircraft are certified to fly revenue flights for a limited time with only one winglet:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Jamaica/Airbus-A340-313X/0628346/L/
Chris, please refrain from making blanket statements regarding flight operations unless you have verified the information.
@stu padazo
Actually it is more like 400 mph tape. Mechanics call it speed tape. It’s very very sticky aluminized tape. And legal in most areas of the skin on a temperary basis.
@Ash: It’s not. Structural means load bearing. The winglet surface is not bearing load. Think structure = airframe. Thus, the winglet is, in fact, a non-structural component.
Oh, and it’s duck tape, not duct.
omg do people really think duct tape is “duck tape”?? it says on the frickin package DUCT tape
As in quack quack.
Duck Tape is a brand name of duct tape, you sadly misinformed panda. You sound as if you’ve never even used truly cheap duct tape. You aren’t even a real fixer!
Matt, that was uncalled for!
‘real’ fizers don’t have to use duct tape:
1 magnesium lighter rigged to a stick
w/ rust and aluminum cans ground down into a powder
is all you need for a on the spot home welding solution to all of lifes problems.
When I first came across the stuff in the 1950s, duct tape was being used to seal the gap between sections of duct-work — almost exclusively for ventilation in factories. I’m guessing that at some point some dude took a roll home, discovered he could repair damned near everything but bricks with it, and the rest, as they say, is history. So, duct tape truly is closer to “As in crack crack” than “As in quack quack”, really and truly.
@Ash
The winglet itself is not a lift-generating component, nor does it have any control surfaces onboard. It’s simply a passive component of the aircraft’s design focused on increasing fuel economy and stability while decreasing drag, reducing wake turbulence, and eliminating those pesky wingtip vortices. Chris Cogdon already covered most of these, though I firmly believe there is no reasonable case where the turbines could not produce the thrust necessary to fly or land properly (perhaps even easily) with a damaged/missing winglet. In addition to this, the difference in drag is no doubt something that could be dialed out through adjusting the trim.
Hypothetically speaking, If it were to simply break off mid-flight, passengers would be terrified for sure (someone on the ground even more so), the pilots would be uncomfortable, and the aircraft might want to pull and roll a bit to one side but would make it down just fine.
Also, that tape is badass. It’s easily as good as a quick spot weld, but notably easier to apply in the field.
Dick Rutan and Jeanna Yeager flew around the world nonstop in an aircraft that tore off a winglet on takeoff.
@Jon
not to be rude but it is actually duct tape. I thought the same for a long time. It just sounds like duck and a lot of people leave the t off at the end
@JM
@Chris
Yeah Chris, please refrain from the blanket statements regarding flight operations. This is a government-owned public information site and you might actually cause damage to the airline industry if someone reads your statement.
lol, whatever JM.
as most other people have stated, speed tape is perfectly legal and is vendor/FAA certified for use as an interim repair. don’t be afraid to fly because the U.S. has some of the strictest flying regulations in the world.
-airline engineer
We use this tape in the fireworks business too. The stuffs great because it holds like crazy and it doesn’t burn or spark and best of all unlike duct tape it if the glue catches fire it really doesn’t burn well.
Duck® Tape is a registered brand of Loctite, a division of Henkel Corp. The generic tape is duct tape, used for connecting air ducts and allowing MacGyver to fix anything.
It looks like Iceland Express.
It’s just a winglet.. who cares…
Older planes don’t even have winglets.
I’m sure you’re a qualified engineer that can determine at a glance what is and is not a “structural component,” right?
Looks like the winglet needs a trip to the composite shop, heh!
I worked at Avbourne in Indianapolis installing winglets on B737 aircraft for Southwest Airlines. I don’t believe I have seen one with that kind of damage though.
<blockquoteI’m sure you’re a qualified engineer that can determine at a glance what is and is not a “structural component,” right?
Not really the right question. There is primary structure and secondary structure. The winglet is part of the primary structure, and losing it in flight could end up not only in having an unsightly wing but also compromising the wing fuel tank, even though it is ostensibly “dry” where the winglet is attached (no, I do not remember the exact wing station number or such, those of you who are also airplane mechanics…)
@Ash
It’s not a wing. It’s a winglet.
http://airlineworld.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/aircraft-winglets/
And many of the commercial aircraft flying with winglets didn’t have them when they entered service; they were retrofitted with them to improve fuel economy.
@Larry
Oops, that reply was meant for Dustin, not Ash.
@Jon No, it’s not called duck tape, it’s called duct tape…used originally for fitting airconditioning ducts together. There is however a brand name of duct tape called “Duck tape”.
If there is one thing I know…it’s duct tape and that whole plane should be built out of it. They would never crash or break apart. You can build boats, cars and buildings out of duct tape and we would never have a problem.
I know nothing about any of this, but reading all these comments has been incredibly interesting and informative. Thanks all!
I can’t claim to know anything about airplanes but I dtho know something about duck/duct tape and that is that the origin of the term is ambiguous:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape#Etymology
Chris Cogdon,
You have not a clue what you are talking about!
Funny, but true, story. Duct tape is no longer allowed to be used to seal ducts in my town. I’m a builder, and we use something that is more akin to the “speed tape” they used on this plane.
That’s metal tape, known as “speed tape” used as a temporarily fix on non-critical components — such as the composite winglet seen in this photo.
This is common, and not the least bit unsafe.
PS
@Chris Cogdon
Are you kidding me? The concern with the extra thrust is the EXTRA FUEL BURN. As far as your asymmetrical drag theory, winglets are routinely removed when damaged. You don’t have to remove both, you just have to account for the extra drag on your fuel burn.
The winglet is not part of the primary structure. It is simply attached to the wing tip (which also is not primary structure). Its strictly an aerodynamic fairing whose purpose is to reduce wing tip drap and increase fuel economy. This is not much different then air dams or spoilers on cars. They serve an aerodynamic purpose, but if they were suddenly torn off, it would be merely aerodynamic/cosmetic.
You can clearly see in the photo that the fiberglass winglet has a crack in it (maybe a bird or something struck it in flight, who knows). The speed tape has been applied to keep the airstream from tearing it open further and doing even more damage to the fairing.
This is a perfectly acceptable temporary repair and is FAA approved. Speed tape is used all the time to cover minor damage that you don’t want the airstream getting at or to cover small panels that may be missing or damage to ensure aerodynamic continuity.
“@Ash
The winglet itself is not a lift-generating component, nor does it have any control surfaces onboard. It’s simply a passive component of the aircraft’s design focused on increasing fuel economy and stability while decreasing drag, reducing wake turbulence, and eliminating those pesky wingtip vortices.”
Winglets do not eliminate tip vortices. What they do is have the effect of giving the plane a longer wingspan without actually making the plane any wider. They do increase lift and the wing spar has to be sized just as if the wing were actually longer. At high altitude cruise more wingspan equates to less drag which means less fuel burned. Losing a winglet would be like losing a few feet off the tip of a wing which could be compensated for with aileron trim. There was a famous incident in China during WII where they replaced a damaged DC-3 wing with a DC-2 wing that was five feet shorter. The plane not only flew adequately (albeit a bit heavy feeling on the short side), but it was successfully flown more than a ton over max gross weight.
What is it about men and their love affair with duct tape? I swear if you could make it into a bikini you’d be the sexiest woman on the beach, in their eyes.
Jesus you are all idiots.
your not helping any…
This tape is used to keep the aerodynamic integrity of the airfoil and places a minimum amount of extra drag on the aircraft as it soars through the sky enabling those people that paid the price of a bus fare to get to their destination. (less drag, less fuel burn) It is not use to place over cracks in the structure of the airplane. If a crack is found in a primary structure, and a mechanic places speed tape over it and lets the plane fly, he is subject to a $10,000 fine for each leg the plane flies and loss of license and possible jail time. So the next time you see some speed tape on a wing, you can be sure the mechanic did his required inspection and consulted with their technical support team before doing so.
Er, well, actually, yes.
@Tony B
It was originally called duck tape, because it is waterproof.
People have been arguing it for years but ORIGINALLY, it was DUCK.
Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
The Wikipedia article Jon cites doesn’t actually support his assessment. Cotton duck tape is available to this day in specialty fabric shops; it’s used to reinforce and/or finish the edge of canvas. If it has adhesive at all, there’s only enough to keep it in place for sewing — it doesn’t even stick to itself very well. And it is easily torn in the direction of the warp AND across the weft. Try that with duct tape!
There is duct tape and then there is 1000-mile/hr tape. Assuming this is an aircraft flying in the developed world, it will be the latter. If this is in Africa/Latin America/etc. and a domestic flight, you had better hope it is not the former.
@V & @Daniel
You’d be even sexier when it came off and took all the body hair with it… Aaaaarrrrrgghhhh
Reminds me of this one:
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4116/1538735.jpg
I’ve got a feeling (from reading the posts of people obviosly smarter than me) that in this case it’s applied on a “structural component”?
I was once on a flight to south-africa, when the whole winglet was missing…. The huge damage was fixed with a large amount of duck(t)-tape. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures, since I was busy talking to the pilot. He assured, that the aircraft allready flew to Zürich like this and would therefore also make it safely back to Cape-Town…! I’m still alive
@Schorn – people use your explaniation to explain the effect to the layperson. The actual effect it has is to reduce the size of the vortex at the wingtip, reducing induced drag at high speed. This is the same as having a larger wing, but requires less thrust to maintain balanced forces in cruise.
Duck(C) tape is a brand isn’t it, like a Xerox machine being a photocopier? My great grandfather called it Duct tape when he used it to repair air ducts in buildings. Duct tape is NOT Gaffa (Cloth) tape either, it’s the plastic stuff.
Speed tape is Alimunimum based and combined with Zip ties and Hose clamps can be used to fix anything in the world.
I’ve read several different explanations of the origin and naming of THAT tape – all quoting Wikipedia. So, like, we all actually believe every word written on Wikipedia, do we?
If there’s no community warnings (e.g. “source missing”), I’m pretty uncritical
Bingo! That’s an entirely perceptive comment. It’s possible to search the re-write history of Wikipedia articles: my bullshit detector sounds the alarm when sentences have been modified repeatedly.
THATS NOT DUCK TAPE! THATS AIR SPEED TAPE AND THATS WHAT IT’S USED FOR
The funny thing is, the Wikipedia article that is cited by both sides as definitive is inconclusive and presents evidence for both “duck” and “duct” as the original name.
@Jon
But, it’s not duct because it’s a corruption of duck, it’s duct because that’s the name for pipes that have water or air running through them. Duct’s from latin (e.g. aqueduct) and my dictionary claims it as being used in english since the 17th century.
[...] From There I Fixed It [...]
If someone can get it for you, that Air Speed Tape is also awesome for fixing a rusted fender that’s threatening to crumble to bits, just when you can’t afford to take it to the body shop. We cut the edge in a fancy shape, stuck it on the other fender to match, and then never did take it to the body shop at all. Got two more years out of that car, tough Canadian winters and all.
Jon – dude let the duct/ck tape thing go, if you’d actually read the wikipedia article you linked to you’d know that the etymology of the tape is AMBIGUOUS and neither is proven to be the ‘original’ term for it.
We are however in 2009 not 1942 and in this day and age it’s DUCT tape – Duck tape is just a brand of duct tape
What do you mean “men and duct tape”? You’ve not been to my house.Froe example my hallway runner carpets are made from a larger cut-down piece and have been edged with colour matched tape for the last 12 years!
And, yes, it’s worked really well.
I would draw the line at fixing a plane with it though.
And don’t forget good old gaffer tape. Every house should have a roll or two in stock.
You know so many interesting infomation. You might be very wise. I like such people. Don’t top writing.
In Denmark we call it “gaffa”-tape. Don’t know where a duck fit into all of this
@Corey Burger · 1,000mph is well above the speed of sound and no commercial jet flies anywhere near that fast since the Concorde was retired.
@ABC
Amazing how ignorant people can be when they have an opportunity to share their ignorance in an anonymous forum. If they spoke their twaddle to another person, they would be called on their ignorance.
@Flog
That would be Gaffers tape, used by gaffers on stages around the world. The plastic stuff is actually DUCK tape as it was originally made for use on WWII Duck Boats to waterproof various items. If used on heating or cooling ducts it consistently fails.
@Jon
it is DUCT tape. because it is mainly used for repairing Air Ducts.
That is special AIRPLANE REPAIR TAPE! It is specifically made to repair airplanes. And it works well. How can you not know this??
@Flog The purpose of that winglet is to reduce wingtip vortices so the next airplane that flies through that airspace doesn’t fall out of the sky
@celticdragon
Celtic Dragon, do you mean AAR in Indianapolis? Also, for that aircraft the winglet won’t affect the structure. The APB winglets on 737′s are much more of a structural component.
Actually, the one thing duck tape is not good for is sealing air ducts . But this is most likely aluminized “speed” tape. I have personally used this tape to stabilize minor skin flaws on F-16 fighters, which easily fly faster than 1,000 MPH. It’s standard practice for temporary non-structural aircraft repairs.
See the following video (and watch them all while you’re there): http://www.whatyououghttoknow.com/show/2008/08/18/duct-tape/
Oh, well, if Wikipedia said it, it must be true! @Jon
@Jon
Yeah, because citing wikipedia proves its true…
There are probably better sources you could cite to prove your point. Also, the wiki page doesn’t even say its definite one way or the other. It says the Oxford English Dictionary says that PERHAPS the word was originally duck tape, but it also says that recorded uses of the thing as “duct tape” predates any recoded uses of the other version. So its all up in the air according to wiki and you should probably read a little more carefully before you post next time.
It was never DUCK tape….you idiots! It’s Duct tape because it is used for minor repairs of heating and air conditioning ducts.
@Ashley
Obviously they cannot, but the term ‘thousand-mile-an-hour-tape’ is a catchy slang expression for the tape used for temporary aviation repairs on an aircraft.
Omg! that is sooo stupid! Duct tape isn’t all that great! I can’t get it to stick to what I need it to stick to!@Daniel
IF THAT FELL OFF……………….ouch
Has anyone else realized how fake this is? I mean there isn’t even supposed to be a vertical stabilizer on that part of the aircraft anyway!
@Matt
Plastic backed duct tape WILL FAIL after a few years in a hot attic. Use the more expensive foil backed HVAC tape.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025KUSUU
@Jon
WRONG! “One view[13] is that it was called “duck tape” by WWII soldiers either because it resembled strips of cotton duck or because the waterproof quality of the tape contributed to the name, by analogy to the water-shedding quality of a duck’s plumage.”
That is an explanation for why some call it “duck tape.”
In truth everyone who calls it “duck tape” likely calls it that because they can’t distinguish the word “duct” when saying “duct tape” and it sounds like “duck tape.”
@Flog It’s not “gaffa”, it’s “gaffer”…a person who sets-up lights for motion picture photograpy.
@Nathan
Nathan, an increasing number of aircraft are installing winglets. They are installed mainly to reduce fuel consumption. It costs about 2 million to install the new winglets on an older 737 and the payback time is about 2 yrs. There is nothing fake about this. Look up the CRJ-200, -700, and -900, as well as many Gulfstream aircraft.
It is not a vertical stabilizer at all.
However on the Rutan Vari-EZ and the Beechcraft Starship they are.
@iamtheuglyamerican The winglet is not there to prevent a vortex behind the plane, although that is a side-effect; its purpose is to increase the lift of the wing by keeping the airflow across the top of the wing from spilling off the wingtips.
@Daniel
In fact if you added twine it would probably kill men within a 100m radius. Sexy personified.
@Daniel
Been There, Done That…:-D
@Daniel
It isn’t duct tape.
It is an extremely stickey & strong aluminum tape which is known as ‘speed tape’ in the airplane industry. It is, in this case being put to its best use which is aerodynamically smoothing over small tears or holes in the airplane’s skin until the body work can be done if it needs to be.
Sorry_ not really a fail.
Oh, shut up.
That would be ‘gaffer’ tape, as used by gaffers in films for taping stuff down.@Flog
@RedSnt
) and it is used extensively for dressing cables in the entertainment industry.
Gaffer tape is not duct tape. Gaffer (or gaff, as it is often called in the industry), is a cloth tape that has a very low amount of glue on it, and thus does not leave residue on things like carpet, but also for whatever reason sticks very well. Most theatrical and movie sets are held together by gaff (at least parts of them
@Corey Burger
Hey, “Developed Coutries” airplanes also fall (Airfrance)!
It is Duck tape because it has cute little ducks on it. Off-brands misspell it. If you disagree, then it is Duck tape BECAUSE I SAY SO!!!
But seriously, it is Duck tape. But can be pronounced Duct-ape if you don’t separate your words.
thats another name for duck taper r tard @Corey Burger
Duct-tape, as in, tape used for different kinds of ducts. Root words for the win. If you don’t know what a duct is, wiki or google it.
@Jon
wow, do you use wikipedia to look up all the facts in your life? you do realize that wiki can be extremely off-the-wall and completely wrong while other times it may have the correct information?
and do you realize that wiki can be changed by anybody who chooses to do so? hell there could be viruses, and all other sorts of stuff on there (a little over the top maybe but who’s to say that they know?).
but seriously who cares what the heck they call it. from Duck-tape, Damn-tape, to (what do ya’ know!!) just regular tape. it’s all the same people! so what is the point of arguing about it? is it because you are all have nothing else to do with your miserable lives?
geez people get a life
(coming from a guy who just ranted [for no apparent reason] about wikipedia, viruses, and tape. Not to mention how everyone needs to get a life)
-wow that was fun-
FAIL
@Flog
That was very informative, but why waste all that explanation in a comment over a funny picture. All you have to do is look and laugh, and if you must comment, repeat something similar to as follows :
“LOL, that is hilarious! You can tell a man fixed that!”
That is all that needs to be said. Good day. [8^D)
in the army we called it GUN-Tape, and it was green
@Daniel
unless youre fat
You Fail….
its funny because he/she who took the photo (and everyone else on the plane) probably only noticed the duct tape when they were flying 33,000ft in the air.
@Scythe
I agree, that is an amazing fail…
Duct tape fixes all.
Actually, there is tape made specifically for that purpose. “Normal” duct tape is colloquially called “hundred mile an hour tape”, owing to its ability to withstand speeds up to 100 mph. This is the type of thing you would use to make a field expedient repair on a road vehicle such as a Hummer.
Then there’s 1000 MPH tape. Designed for exactly this kind of repair.
That appears to be the tip of the wing (and not a load-bearing part of the plane), to take a guess.
But yeah, I’m with you.
Actually, hon, it’s a special kind of tape designed by the military for exactly this kind of temporary fix. Believe me, it’s nothing like duct tape except for the occasional choice of silver as a coating color. Airplane mechanics everywhere use it to do just what you see here, until they have more time to devote to a permanent fix. However, it is still a viable reason to avoid flying. Well, that and bad food, high prices, seats only your two year old is comfortable in, rude …. ah meh. Never mind, not enough room here to finish this list.
So, there’s this thing called photoshop … you might wanna consider purchasing, so in future your hoaxes stink less of fail.
It’s also called speed tape. My ex was a pilot and brought some home once to repair some stuff around the house. It’s made of metal and sticks like nothing else. It’s also SUPER strong. He used to tell me it was stronger than what they made the planes out of. Still, it does LOOK very unsafe stuck to the wing like that.
Use the other side of the tape.
Hahahahahaaahhaha
It’s called “speed-tape” and it’s used throughout the aviation industry. For small jobs like this it is sufficient until the plane can be checked over. To call this a death trap is, well…fail.
That’s probably that 100-mph aircraft tape
Duct tape was actually invented to patch bullet holes in fighter jets in Vietnam (Korea, maybe?), believe-it-or-not. They called it 100 mph-tape.
Afronator~
FTW… best comment ever!
Afronator FTW! Best comment ever.
This is a particular kind of tape called “speed tape” that ALL airlines use. The military uses it too. It is made of aluminum and specifically designed for this very purpose. All it does is cover up minor scratches/cracks in NON-FLIGHT CONTROL surfaces, such as the winglet pictured.
Am I missing something? This component is called the “vertical stabilizer”. Not only is it affixed to the aircraft backward, but there is no rudder on it. It looks like we are spending all this energy discussing a photoshop.
@Kathy
people always make clothes and dresses with duct tape… many people have duct tape prom dresses and stuff so why not bikinis?(acctually all you have to do is double the duct tape to make fabric…) XD http://www.stuckatprom.com
That’s actually just the winglet. It’s unnecessary for flight. All it does is increase fuel efficiency.
@Tom Nally
It’s a winglet, as mentioned before. So it’s not a photoshop
http://www.1001crash.com/latest/2006/GOL_B737_1.jpg
It’s those things at the end of wings. It also prevents fluttering.
@caz jane
It’s real dude. 600mph tape: look it up.
@Tom Nally
That component is called a winglet and it’s exactly as it should be. You are indeed missing something.
A. There is a zoom function on fire fox. Use it. B. Winglets? really? I know they’re real but on that kind of wing, more than likely not. Seriously it’s a shop you can see triangle areas of pixels around the entire so called winglet. It’s a poor shop job. And for those of you that can’t see it I suggest going to see an optometrist.
@caz jane
maybe you should consider getting more information, so in the future your comments stink less of fail.
@Charion – [joke]You’re mother makes herself up in Photoshop
[/joke]
It’s B737-800 if I’m not wrong, ald thode triangle areas are beacause of .jpg compression. Please have some technical knowledge BEFORE you start trolling.
3M-425 also known as Speed tape, all the airlines use it for a multitude of applications.
It’s not duct tape, it’s high speed tape. We used it on the birds in the navy. It’s actually metallic and is used for quick fixes. It’s not holding that stabilizer on, it’s more to avoid corrosion until they can paint over that spot…
I am an Aircraft Engineer in the British military, and I can tell you that as others have said above this stuff is called Speed Tape, it’s made of aluminium and it so monumentally sticky that it can be a pain to work with, but it’s designed for exactly the sort of scenario in the photograph.
The panel is probably missing a fastener or a rivet or two, and the tape is applied as a temporary fix to cover the hole to ensure smooth airflow, it is never used on a structural component and never to actually hold anything together, and the panel will probably be repaired at the next Primary Servicing.
So whoever posted this photograph fails.
@Bryan, Slayer of Zombie Hordes Duck tape sucks ass
Duct tape was originally designed for precisely this purpose, in WWII: to cover bullet holes in metal plate and hold loose panels together. It’s joke shorthand now for “insufficiency” but in fact that is the one thing it WAS designed for. What’s more, as has been noted, the stuff airlines and the military use are metal-coated and polymer-fibered with far stronger adhesive, so it’s very, very, very resilient even compared to what they were sticking P-47s back together with in 1945.
If you can’t fix it, Duck it.
@Afronator
nice comment
Prehaps you should think before you speak, or even in this case, read previous comments before assuming that everything that appears to be implausible is automatically a Photoshop hoax. The quote below was post an hour before you decided to comment. Prehaps you should read over it again.
that’s a nice sky
@Tom Nally
Are you an idiot? It’s the attached at the end of the wing, not the back of the plane and it is definitely facing the right direction. Quit looking so hard for photoshop tricks and see what’s in front of you!
@jb
If you can’t duck it, f@&k it!
if you can’t duck it…crash it.
@Scythe
Well your not doing it right then. I have not found anything it wont do
@Tom Nally
Actually what you are looking at is a winglet, its basically an extension of the wing only bent upward. Its designed to increase the range of aircraft and improve fuel efficiency. Most jets have them next time you fly look and you will see it.
thts not duct tape its called hundred mile an hour tape its made to be used on planes
I hope thats at least double taped
@Afronator
Best comment here.
thats a pitot tube cover so stuff cant get in there cause if it did it would screw up the altitude and speed indicator usually its clear but it is on all planes so dont worry
@Tom Nally
Its a winglet… on the end of the wing.
Duct tape was created during W.W.II for patching bullet holes in aircraft.
It came in green and silver.
in my house we call duct tape Wisconsin Steel… does that make me a redneck
@zach zach wth? it is NOT a pitot tube covering! If it was covering the pitot tube, there would be NO airspeed indication because no air would pass around the pitot tube! where do you people come from?? And Chairon is equally dumb. You say you know winglets are real but not on that kind of wing?? What exactly is “that kind of wing”? They are now standard on most Boeings and ALL Airbuses! Seriously, where do you people come from?? What has happened to America’s schools???
@Tom Nally
ACtually its not the vertical stabilizer, its a lip on the edge of the wing tip on a 737. Google image a few modern southwest 737s and look at the wingtips.
@”zac h is an idiot”:
I wouldn’t know what has happened to (American as well as many other western countries) schools, although I could venture a guess that the funding and teachers educational levels have fallen drastically over the last couple of decades. However, it is a fact that the global IQ average has fallen about 10 points in about as many years – If this goes on for just a few decades more, very soon no children will be born who will ever be clever enough to go to the potty by themselves (and soon thereafter, nobody will be left alive who are clever enough to help them do so)…
The global IQ average is, by definition 100 points, and the tests have to be made harder every few years or so to keep the tests normalized. I’m not, however, defending the schools; they fail to supply experience, which is required to develop common sense. They may also actively discourage creativity, some measure of which is required for invention. Not to mention that, on top of the above, they also fail to properly teach math, physics, and everything else that goes into engineering.
@MaWo
+1 she’s absolutely correct.
While this reeks of a temporary repair, it is a safe one. There is specially designed duct tape for temporary aircraft repairs, and the wing tips of a plane (especially that type of wing tip) do not bear any flight loads.
As an aircraft engineer I can say that this temporary repair is perfectly safe. The tape is called 500 mph tape and is actually made of aluminium. It can be used to temporarily cover small or insignificant amounts of damage.
The engineers who applied it on this plane would have ascertained from the aircraft manufacturer that the damage wasn’t a danger to the safe operation of the aircraft and that it won’t be made worse during flight, so 500 mph tape could be used to cover it.
The part it’s used on is a winglet, and is not essential to the safe operation of the aircraft. They’re used to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. It could fall off in mid flight and not be a danger to the aircraft.
I would assume that using this tape was their only option, because even though it’s perfectly safe to use it, using tape on your wings is not a good look for passengers!
@Michael
well that was quite informative, Michael.
isn’t the reduced drag done by stopping wingtip vortices?
@Nick
Yep, exactly.
@Michael
So a falling from a great height winglet is not a hazard to those persons on the ground??? Although I agree that the engineers would have assessed the method of repair, they have got it wrong in the past.
@Fred
Lol, yes, a winglet falling off a plane would be a danger to people on the ground, but that isn’t what I said. I only said it wouldn’t be a danger to the aircraft, as in it could fly without it.
Engineers have certain procedures they need to follow. I think you’ll find that 99% of mistakes engineers make are because of procedures not being followed.
To be able to make this repair it would need to be approved by the aircrafts manufacturer. The easiest way of doing that is by making the repair in accordance with the maintenance manual, which is written by the aircraft manufacturer. If the damage you have doesn’t come up in the manual, then you must go to the aircraft manufacturer and get them to assess it. If the engineers followed all of their procedures, then the aircraft manufacturer must have said that this aircraft was safe to fly with this repair.
ok, I understand the engineering behind it, I know it’s safe, but at the same time, there’s something about looking out the window of an airplane and seeing tape on the wing that’s just a wee bit unsettling.
Maybe it’s just me…
Wow, after reading the comments here I have realize why everybody is against aviation and airports. The general public doesn’t have a clue about aviation. Just being on a airplane or even having a private pilot doesn’t give you expert knowledge of aviation. Stop scaring people with bad information. This is safe and legal.
right, I’m gonna make a “Duct Tape solves EVERYTHING” montage.
This is just too good to miss…
xD
Gentlemen,
This is not a repair, the tape commonly called “Mach Tape” is holding on a sensor during a test flight. That is why the winglet is the color it is “International Orange”.
Why aren’t you people making jokes??!?!?!?!?
I kid, I actually found this thread of comments extremely interesting and informative.
cause’ knowledge is power!
That actually works quite well.
This reapair is legal. You can find it in the SRM (structural repair manual) or in the standard practice manual. We call it high speed tape. It has aluminium paper.
Stop saying bull shit.
sh, its funny because it looks broken, the more you explain the legality and physics of it the more you sound like dicks
Its a good repair. As long as the spar hasn’t gone it’ll be fine, but if the skin gets blown off its not. Just think of it as a patch on a fabric skinned aircraft.
And I do wish more people had some idea about what winglets are for.
Interesting, but don’t tailfins on airplanes normally face in the other direction?
@Michael
I’d get on the plane even if that was ductape. You know that f-15 that landed with 1 wing? Remarkable.
LMAO at tht 1 =]
The French use duct tape against terrorism in their high speed trains!
it works,
I use a little rock to scare off tigers in my bedroom, it’s also working, so why don’t we all buy some duct tape, fix every problem with that and some rocks to scare of tigers in bedrooms, what do you say?
To the engeneer, pilot and whatever.
Duct tape for solving problems , eventhough safe or not save, sucks, okay?
You pay a lot of money to fly so the least they can do is give you another plane if the original one is broken
OMG! Duct-Tape!!!
I know maintenance signed off on the repair, but did the public relations department sign off on it?
Even if it were regular duct tape, the way its made is already strong and normal duct tape for minor repairs is safe enough, but the “mach tape” or “500mph tape” is just superman version of duct tape =O
@jos
So just because there’s a small repair that uses duct tape on a plane, they should use a completely different multi-million dollar aircraft? Even though with any business sense at all most of the planes will be out flying or refueling? And with all the spare aircraft these airports have just lying around? Very Logical.
Ohh My God..
@jos
You have a need to keep tigers out of your bedroom?????
Thank you all very much for the information about the tape’s safety.
BUT YOU’RE RUINING THE JOKE, commmmmoooooon.
the winglets reduce wingtip vortices at both low and high speed. it keeps air from looping around the end of the wing. the loop creates a mini “tornado” and it creates alot of drag. some winglets increase fuel economy by about 25% so an airline that puts them on their planes can save millions on fuel costs. you can see this sometimes in planes that don’t have these winglets. i was just on a plane and i caught a glimpse of the vortice trailing 20-30 feet from the wing tip.
also if it did fall of and there was more drag on that wing i little left rudder would easily counteract the drag
dude your an idiot its called DUCT tape… not duck tape…. thats what 3rd graders call it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape = “dude”, you fail at life
ALSO!!!!!!!!
The fact that the winglet itself falling off would do mostly nothing. BUUTTTT if the broken off winglet flew back into the horizontal stabilizer or the rear engine (if it had a rear central engine) then it could cause a major problem…
think about that
chris cogdon and ryan are geeks
@Dustin
Correct this is called HIGH speed tape for aircraft repair nothing wrong with that folks !
This redefines the meaning of “Let’s wing it”
Whew now they will make the rest of their legs,,without wasting fuel.
I don’t give a damn what it’s called or what it does. I’d probably weep the rest of the flight if I saw that crap on a plane.
then again, I nearly cry during take off anyway.
You dare defy the power of duct tape?!
um….. its called a temporary repair probably for a short *hop* its 300 mile an hour tape
(not 100) sorry to burst your bubble its not lide threating or stupid… its completly safe
life not lids sry and i ment 300 mph+
It’s nick name is speed tape. It’s designed (like others have said) for non structural repair. If the plane gets a little ding or crack in the fiberglass or metal they will put the tape on it to make it more aerodynamic.
Yumm. Speedtape. My uncle had his plane repaired with it once since he was in some crazy country where they didnt speak english, needless to say, he said hell no and fixed it himself… gotta love delta lol
They use that stuff all the time, but they could have at least PAINTED it!
a co-worked of mine calls it squirrel tape…. rig workers get really lonely.