[VietVet]

Look, don't go fitting me for a tinfoil hat, but a while ago, when I was in the National Guard and was givin annual training which included anti-terroist/sabotage courses, one of the things we were warned about was a chemical applicator, which looked just like a felt-tipped marker. It contained a corrosive which, when applied to the aluminum skin or structural members of an aircraft, caused all but invisible damage, weakening the metal in a way that would cause it to break along the line drawn with the 'marker'. The break looked just like a metal fatigue break, unless examined microscopically and tested chemically, and even then it was hard to detect. I doubt if the training officers were spoofing us; they were serious, but I don't know about the validity of their information. Any chemists out there who could confirm or deny the possibility of such a thing?

[dead]

In the Sean Penn movie "Bad Boys" the little devious genius kid wants to escape from juvey prison. He paints the fence with some substance, waits a few seconds, then kicks a whole in it. It snaps cleanly along the path he just painted.

Everytime I read about people painting corrosive agents on the plane (which is entirely plausible), I remember that scene.

I'm sure the mechanic crews and airport security videos are getting a thorough examination.

[TBall]

Wow, that is truely frightening info re the chemical applicator. I'm sure I will be thinking about your post when I fly later this week.

[Old Professer]

You might want to experiment with hydrofluoric acid.

[Don Joe]

Look, don't go fitting me for a tinfoil hat, but a while ago, when I was in the National Guard and was givin annual training which included anti-terroist/sabotage courses, one of the things we were warned about was a chemical applicator, which looked just like a felt-tipped marker. It contained a corrosive which, when applied to the aluminum skin or structural members of an aircraft, caused all but invisible damage, weakening the metal in a way that would cause it to break along the line drawn with the 'marker'. The break looked just like a metal fatigue break, unless examined microscopically and tested chemically, and even then it was hard to detect. I doubt if the training officers were spoofing us; they were serious, but I don't know about the validity of their information.

Google query: "Liquid Metal Embrittlement Agent"