What’s the best way to know what happens when an F-4 Phantom jet hits a concrete wall at 500 mph? Get an F-4 Phantom Jet and actually hit it on a concrete wall, of course!
Sandia National Laboratories did just that, as they struck an F-4 Phantom aircraft to impact test an essentially rigid, reinforced concrete wall. The aircraft was accelerated using a 600m (2000ft) long rocket sled until it reached a constant velocity of 215 m/sec (480mph).
And just in case you were wondering, the F-4 Phantom aircraft was a fully functional one, with only the gears and flaps at the main wings being partly removed. Instead, carriage structure and sleds were used to guide the aircraft during the propulsion process while not allowing it to lift off.
The target was a reinforced concrete block 7m (23ft) in length and breath while having a thickness of 3.66m (12ft). The concrete block weighed about 470 tons (42 (1000kips), which was approximately 25 times the weight of the incoming F4 Phantom aircraft.
Enough details, time to watch the 500 mph plane crash into a terrific blaze as the incredible wall withstands the impact!
Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams after all!
