[Wm Bach]

Maybe the Europlane just isn't built tough like Buddy Lee Boeing.

This could be the beginning of the microfracture/metal fatigue time limit on those airframes and we're going to see the Gloucester Comet fiasco all over again.

[texlok]

>This could be the beginning of the microfracture/metal fatigue time limit on those airframes and we're going to see the Gloucester Comet fiasco all over again

You mean this Comet??

I think the A300 was built a little better than that. Or at least tested more thoroughly. Nobody knows though, we can speculate all we want.

There have been past examples of aircraft being taken out by terrorists, just like there are past examples of aircraft crashing/exploding because of design flaws. I'll admit I'm speculating too much.

[Poohbah]

Actually, it was De Havilland who built the Comet, not Gloster (they built the Gladiator and the Meteor).

And the Airbus is best described as a gaggle of airplane and engine parts flying together in loose formation.