If the iconic airplane "black box" is virtually indestructible, why don't engineers just build the entire plane from it?

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Jet engine fan blades withstand immense centrifugal force

Spinning metal at supersonic speeds is totally a calm and predictable process. These titanium blades endure forces equivalent to having an entire bus dangling…

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Tony Jannus piloted the world's very first scheduled commercial airline flight in 1914, transporting a single paying passenger across Tampa Bay in a trip that lasted a mere twenty-three minutes.

Tony Jannus piloted the world's very first scheduled commercial airline flight in 1914, transporting a single paying passenger across Tampa Bay in a trip that…

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Bell Rocket Belt was a functional hydrogen peroxide jetpack developed in the 1960s that allowed humans to finally achieve the sci-fi dream of personal unassisted flight.

Bell Rocket Belt was a functional hydrogen peroxide jetpack developed in the 1960s that allowed humans to finally achieve the sci-fi dream of personal…

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Many helicopters use simple skids instead of wheeled landing

Retractable wheels are heavy, complicated, and entirely unnecessary if you never need a runway. Instead, many helicopters just feature two glorified metal…

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The parachute that saves the whole plane

Instead of handing passengers dinky personal parachutes and wishing them luck, someone finally decided to just parachute the whole damn plane. The Cirrus…

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Jumbo jets weighing four hundred tons routinely float through the sky like metallic magic tricks

Physics starts to feel like a poorly written suggestion when you look closely at commercial aviation. A fully loaded Boeing 747 weighs almost a million…

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If the iconic airplane "black box" is virtually indestructible, why don't engineers just build the entire plane from it?

A bigger world.One discoveryat a time.

Keep exploring

Jet engine fan blades withstand immense centrifugal force

Tony Jannus piloted the world's very first scheduled commercial airline flight in 1914, transporting a single paying passenger across Tampa Bay in a trip that lasted a mere twenty-three minutes.

Bell Rocket Belt was a functional hydrogen peroxide jetpack developed in the 1960s that allowed humans to finally achieve the sci-fi dream of personal unassisted flight.

Many helicopters use simple skids instead of wheeled landing

The parachute that saves the whole plane

Jumbo jets weighing four hundred tons routinely float through the sky like metallic magic tricks

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.