"Fred the Red Shirt" wrote in message
oups.com...

Ok so at 18" diameter that clear plastic dish had a surface area
of about 254 square inches, so it saw a force of about 3700 lbs,
less if you were significantly above sea level.


Yes.

Another way to consider it, is that the 18" diameter, 1/4" wall aluminum
tube has to support the approximate weight of a small SUV.