The Case of the Missing Bullet Holes (2017)

micawberprinciple.com

20 pointscvs2684 comments

Not really related to the lesson learned here, but...I always liked the A10 design.

Because it flys low and slow to provide fire support for ground troops, the cockpit has a thick titanium bathtub[1] that can stand up to big caliber anti-aircraft fire.

[1] https://www.flickr.com/photos/25695066@N00/albums/7215762746...

You would think it would also be a matter of which parts would most likely cause the plane to fall out of the sky if hit.

What! are you still alive mr. 4th smartest guy?

There are some parts that’ll cause the plane to fail in obvious ways, like the fuel tanks and engines. The tricky thing is that there are parts that’ll work with holes in them for a bit, but eventually if enough holes get punched in them they’ll fail under load, causing the plane to crash.

Or, there are events that’ll cause the parts, say a wing, to fall off, and then the pilot will fly it home still despite the manufacturer swearing that their plane can’t fly without a wing[0]. Aerodynamics are hard.

0: https://theaviationist.com/2014/09/15/f-15-lands-with-one-wi...

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