A closer look
Commercial airline maintenance crews frequently slap something that looks exactly like cheap duct tape onto the wings and engines of passenger jets right before takeoff, much to the absolute horror of nervous flyers looking out the window, but this highly specialized product is actually called speed tape; it is a heavy-duty aluminum foil adhesive designed to withstand extreme temperatures, moisture, and ultraviolet light at six hundred miles per hour for minor cosmetic repairs to improve aerodynamics while waiting for permanent replacement parts, but even knowing it is completely safe, watching a guy in a high-vis vest literally tape your airplane together like a broken cardboard box just moments before you hurtle into the stratosphere does not inspire consumer confidence
