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The First Step in Creating a Space Age - Treat Earth as a Planet
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November 8th 10, 09:19 PM posted to sci.space.policy
Jeff Findley
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The First Step in Creating a Space Age - Treat Earth as a Planet
In article 4e9ddae5-cf6a-475b-a4bd-
,
says...
On Nov 8, 2:28*am, Fred J. McCall wrote:
So I guess the Hindenberg didn't really explode and burn, then?
It didn't explode. Really.
It did burn, but blaming the hydrogen is almost certainly wrong.
Burning hydrogen gas produces a pretty blue smokeless flame. The
Hindenberg burned bright yellow, with plenty of smoke. Hydrogen rises.
A lot of the burning material fell. Ignition of the aluminum paint on
the airship's skin, perhaps from a discharge of static electricity, is
a very reasonable explanation for what happened.
While true, this does not diminish the risk of H2 leaking into an
enclosed area on a blimp, mixing with air, and causing a flammable, or
explosive, fuel/air mixture. That's a very real hazard.
Jeff
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