"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

A normal bullet hole would be no problem. There's already a much
larger vent to the outside, which stabilizes cabin pressure against
the fresh & heated air being pumped in from the engines. People
smarter than I say that this hole is about three inches in diameter.

More detail on this: over on rec.aviation.piloting, there's a parallel
and very busy thread on this same subject. Here's what a Big Spam Can
Driver had to say on the subject of the vent hole(s):

"Actually, a little bigger. There are two outflow valves that work in
tandem. On the 747 they're located on the aft belly, and each is a
touch smaller in area than one aircraft window -- an oval about 4in by
12in. There are also two relief valves on the left side of the
airplane, and they are about 8" in diameter."

So upon reflection it doesn't seem that even the blow-out of a window
could cause more than terror and discomfort, especially since it would
almost certainly be followed by an emergency descent to lower
altitude.

That is the problem with overgeneralization--it is usually wrong. It "could"
indeed cause more than terror and discomfort. The Brazilian airliner lost a
passenger when it had two windows taken out; a Piedmont airliner suffered a
passenger fatality during a rapid decompression that did not involve any
large opening at all. Having been through a few nasty eardrum ruptures, I
can tell you that the pain involved adds up to a bit more than "discomfort"
(when blood and pus are ejected a couple of inches out of the ear you can
imagine the sensation involved)--the passengers on that Aer Lingus 737 might
attest to that.

Brooks


One of the pilots commented: "I always wear my seat-belt when flying.
Don't you?" Something to add to your resolutions for 2004


all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com