I've always wondered about that. A 747, for instance, is a damn big airplane and, even if a Stinger managed to take out one engine, so what?
I don't know that commercial airliners have self-sealing tanks and other protections against sharpy, pointy, blowie-up things. Fuel going up might be problem.
Main thing is the warheads are pretty darn small.
http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20030813a.asp
I've notice people sort of blindly assume that any airliner hit by a MANPADS will crash which is assuredly not the case. Not that it's something to be ignored but at times it's overhyped.
What theya re assuming is that the engine is hit and tears large areas of the wing' or wing root (or tail) is hit, and the plane loses the stability.
THIS SIZE missile would (most likely) not be armed into a carrier on a commercial truck - BUT, it could be.
Many "truck/tank-body/APC-carried" missiles are "stowed" in the launcher as ready rounds.
"I've always wondered about that. A 747, for instance, is a damn big airplane and, even if a Stinger managed to take out one engine, so what?"
Hit one of those big turbofans with a missle and the engine will likely come apart with explosive energy. If you are lucky it will rip itself off the nacelle before doing this. A damaged turbfan, as it tears itself apart might take part of the wing with it. As it comes apart or blows up, pieces flying off of it can severly damage control surfaces or penetrate cabin, etc.
Lots can go wrong. Depending on where and how the missle actually hits the damage can be surviveable on an aircraft that big, or catastrophic.