The International Herald Tribune of November 1, 1999 ran
an article entitled: "Boeing Withheld Study of Fuel Tanks on
747s" (page 3).
Apparently, on March 14, 1980, Boeing issued a study of problems
with the center fuel tanks in one of its jumbo jets.
The report centered on "center fuel tank overheating in
its E-4b, the military version of the civilian 747 & "
Our readers will be interested to know that BOEING places
air-conditioner units directly below the center fuel tanks of
747's (we believe also on 767s, 777s and 757s but we have
been unable to confirm this).
Any moron would know that placing a device which causes
heat below a tank holding a substance which becomes many
times more explosive when brought into a gaseous form is
pure folly. Mr. Luplow, former Senior Vice President of
Boeing had stated in a letter written in 1983 that safety/survivability is not a
concern taken into account at every step of the design
process.
The placement of the air-conditioner
units is proof of his statements.
