GregP
Major
Yes, but not primary structure ... at least hopefully.
I would not want to be in a commerciual plane where the engine bearers are magnesium since that is where fire will likely come from. Most commercial planes don't take fire from the airport they fly into and most flame type fires would usually come from the engines or electrical shorts, meaning the structure along the wire bundles and especially the battery area should also not be magnesium. Trouble will happen but there's no point giving it help along the way.
To tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on mixed construction like the 787, either. I'm still not sure about the cumulative effects of ageing and vibration on the metal / carbon fiber interface, and neither is Boeing. I guess we'll see when there aren't any issues or they start coming apart in the air. Hopefully the former.
At least in Military planes, the crew going into indian territory in a combat-rated plane usually has escape options if things go south. Whether or not they fall into friendly hands is another story, but they can usually escape the falling plane. I doubt seriously whether any commercial plane would survive a hoistile encounter with any jet fighter, so it really doesn't matter much. You take your chances on an AWACS or a tanker in unfreindly terrotory, but at least you know that going in and usually have some protection and some warning to leave the area if bogies are inbound.
What I don't want is a commercial plane that experiences a short circuit in the air and the primary structure catches fire and burns through killing everyone aboard. It's too easy to design that OUT of the planes to allow that type of fault to get into service. I mentioned the 787 and they DID have some fires thaht resulted in issues, but none of the planes were crashed due to the event, even the airborne event. That says something good about al least THAT part of the fail safe structure design of the 787.
So perhaps I should have qualified that statement to say primary structure and structure around electrical busses especially on commercial planes. I am still not sure Magnesuim is required on military planes at all, particularly in wheels and primary fuselage and wing / tail structure, but it does get used. I am not in a position to make changes to the procurement specs, so it sill likely continue to be used.
You can still buy cigarettes. That doesn't mean it is smart to smoke.
I would not want to be in a commerciual plane where the engine bearers are magnesium since that is where fire will likely come from. Most commercial planes don't take fire from the airport they fly into and most flame type fires would usually come from the engines or electrical shorts, meaning the structure along the wire bundles and especially the battery area should also not be magnesium. Trouble will happen but there's no point giving it help along the way.
To tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on mixed construction like the 787, either. I'm still not sure about the cumulative effects of ageing and vibration on the metal / carbon fiber interface, and neither is Boeing. I guess we'll see when there aren't any issues or they start coming apart in the air. Hopefully the former.
At least in Military planes, the crew going into indian territory in a combat-rated plane usually has escape options if things go south. Whether or not they fall into friendly hands is another story, but they can usually escape the falling plane. I doubt seriously whether any commercial plane would survive a hoistile encounter with any jet fighter, so it really doesn't matter much. You take your chances on an AWACS or a tanker in unfreindly terrotory, but at least you know that going in and usually have some protection and some warning to leave the area if bogies are inbound.
What I don't want is a commercial plane that experiences a short circuit in the air and the primary structure catches fire and burns through killing everyone aboard. It's too easy to design that OUT of the planes to allow that type of fault to get into service. I mentioned the 787 and they DID have some fires thaht resulted in issues, but none of the planes were crashed due to the event, even the airborne event. That says something good about al least THAT part of the fail safe structure design of the 787.
So perhaps I should have qualified that statement to say primary structure and structure around electrical busses especially on commercial planes. I am still not sure Magnesuim is required on military planes at all, particularly in wheels and primary fuselage and wing / tail structure, but it does get used. I am not in a position to make changes to the procurement specs, so it sill likely continue to be used.
You can still buy cigarettes. That doesn't mean it is smart to smoke.