Missing plane

[Menelaus]

Inside a plane?

Yep - if it works inside the metal hull of a boat / ship, why not a 'plane?

Hopefully someone who knows more about this would be able to answer but I'd imagine(?) that the frequency being used for a sat phone is different to that of NDB, IFF, TACAN, weather radar, ATC (etc)?

[TheRefactornator]

Inside a plane?

You changed the spec. They're not too good indoors / in-vehicle but can work reasonably well if the skin of the building or outer shell is thin, the success of which depends on the hardware architecture..

[Moscow Mule]

Yep - if it works inside the metal hull of a boat / ship, why not a 'plane?

Hopefully someone who knows more about this would be able to answer but I'd imagine(?) that the frequency being used for a sat phone is different to that of NDB, IFF, TACAN, weather radar, ATC (etc)?

Theory here

Wavelenths here

I can't be arsed to do the sums, but I'm pretty sure a sat phone signal will get through a plane window.

[TheRefactornator]

The portable base station attenna type, naval, defence etc can be reasonably stable when used in enclosed areas with thin shell. The more widely available and afforable domestic type need line of sight to the satellite. Boats will have the antenna mounted on the mast so no problem there.

[wxman]

LOL, stormchasers are good for a few things

Air France Flight 447:
Detailed meteorological analysis

http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/

It is possible that the plane suffered massive damage while flying through a storm system. Hail was not a factor.

[Troll]

snigger:-

A330 has composite components so needs a new way of dispersing strikes

Boeing

chortle

dude


and:


Real-world Faraday cages

Things that often act as Faraday cages

* Elevators.
* Some traditional architectural materials such as plaster with metal lath, and rebar reinforced concrete.
* Steel and aluminum buildings and sheds.[2]
* The cooking chamber of a microwave oven.
* RFID passport and credit card shielding sleeves.
* Cars and aircraft, when struck by lightning. The metal frame and outer skin of the vehicle cause the electrical charge to travel safely away from the occupants. This differs from a popular urban legend that claims that a car's tires cause the lightning strike to reach the ground. However, radio and cellular phone signals can still reach inside the vehicle since their wavelengths are significantly smaller than the windows and other openings in the vehicle's conductive frame, though internal signal strength may be diminished.
* The internal metal lining of most consumer electronics, as well as the metal case of most personal computers.
* A shopping bag lined with aluminum foil acts as a Faraday cage. It is often used by shoplifters to steal RFID tagged items

Seem to recall an oil rig helicopter crashing due to lightning strike on a composite rotor, also the A380 has a laminate of aluminium & CF in its structure to keep the weight down

Hmmm how safe are aircraft with carbon fibre bits?