Airliner Door Questions — Tech Ops Forum

Sponsor Message:


My Starred Topics \| Profile \| New Topic \| Forum Index \| Help \| Search

Airliner Door Questions

UA752 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 142 posts, RR: 2
Posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 733 times:

Ive noticed that on most airliners there is some sort of "strip" of metal that proceeds diagonaly along the fuselage...what is this and what's its purpose?

Also I have noticed that on lots of jets that the metal directly below the door is not painted...why is that?

Heres a good example of what Im talking about...

Click for large version

Photo © Bill Paulsen

Thanks

MSN

6 replies: All unread, jump to last

Flight152 From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 3291 posts, RR: 7
Reply 1, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 702 times:

It channels the water around the door so the passnegers don't get wet when leaving/boarding the plane. Kinda like a gutter, in fact my mom's Volvo S90 has them too!

JSchultz From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 9 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 702 times:

That metal strip at the bottom of the door is a scuff plate. They aren't painted for obvious reasons...(Jetways, boarding stairs bump up against them).

Jim

UA752 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 142 posts, RR: 2
Reply 3, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 691 times:

hmm....simpler than I thought...thanks again

MSN

Musang From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 754 posts, RR: 7
Reply 4, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 686 times:

Those rain gutters above the doors are, on some types, angled to align with the local airflow, to cause less drag.

Therefore you might see one at a forward door sloping down towards the front, and one on a rear door sloping down towards the rear. On other types they're all horizontal.

To get an illustration of the direction of flow along a fuselage, look for one with toilet fluid leaking from the forward servicing panel!

Regards - Musang

Klaus From Germany, joined Jul 2001, 20853 posts, RR: 55
Reply 5, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 672 times:

UA752: Also I have noticed that on lots of jets that the metal directly below the door is not painted...why is that?

Another possible explanation is given here: http://www.concordesst.com/model102/pop9.html

I don´t know if this problem is also relevant on subsonic planes; But helicopter rotors are known to pick up static electricity while they are moving through the air.

So this unpainted area below the airbus door might be used to discharge the fuselage in a controlled way in order to spare an unsuspecting passenger...
Seems a little small for mechanical protection.

Do jetways usually have brush contacts in this area?

Notar520AC From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 1606 posts, RR: 4
Reply 6, posted (11 years 9 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 648 times:

"Helicoper rotors tend to pick up static..."

Yes- they do. From a helicopter pilot, we have static discharge areas aft and fore on the fuselage. They're very small though- only about the size of a half dollar and are never covered.

BMW - The Ultimate Driving Machine

Top Of Page

Forum Index

Reply To This Topic Airliner Door Questions

Username:	No username? Sign up now!
Password:	Forgot Password? Be reminded. Remember me on this computer (uses cookies)

Tech/Ops related posts only!
Not Tech/Ops related? Use the other forums
No adverts of any kind. This includes web pages.
No hostile language or criticizing of others.
Do not post copyright protected material.
Use relevant and describing topics.
Check if your post already been discussed.
Check your spelling!
DETAILED RULES

Check Spelling

Please check your spelling (press "Check Spelling" above)

Similar topics: