Why Do Airplane Wings Have Tiny Metal Whiskers?

By History of Simple Things

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Have you ever noticed those tiny metal whiskers sticking out from the wings and tail of an airplane? In this video, we take a closer look at static wicks, how aircraft become electrically charged, why uncontrolled discharge can interfere with radios and navigation equipment, and why those tiny whiskers are positioned where they are. We’ll also clear up a common misconception about whether static wicks have anything to do with protecting airplanes from lightning. Timestamps: 0:03 - Intro 1:05 - How Airplanes Build Up Electricity 1:59 - Why Electrical Charge Can Be a Problem 2:58 - What Static Wicks Actually Do 3:51 - Why Static Wicks Are So Thin 4:44 - Why They're Placed at the Edges 5:39 - Are Static Wicks Lightning Rods? 6:34 - Conclusion #airplanes #aviation #static #wicks #aircraft #howthingswork #engineering #aviationfacts #simplethings #hidden #wings Medium Rock by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/lic

Tags: #HistoryOfEverydayItems, #HowItsMade, #BehindTheProduct, #SimpleThingsExplained, #EverydayInnovations, #ManufacturingProcesses, #FromRawToFinished, #TheMakingOf, #EverydayWonders, #ExploringOrigins, #UncoveringCreation, #TheStoryBehind, #CraftingEssentials, #OriginsOfInnovation, #DiscoveryOfCreation