🚀 go-pugleaf

In ca.general M. W. Eglestone <smsmike@bellsouth.net> wrote:
: Merlin Dorfman wrote:

:>      Despite some external similarities, the 707 and KC-135 are far from
:> identical.  The 707 has a single-lobe fuselage, while the KC-135's is
:> double-lobe.
: <==============================================>

:  MWE: In nearly 30 years of working on all sorts of aircraft structure
: and systems (up to and including the F-16) I have NEVER heard the term
: Single or Double "LOBE" fuselage. Just exactly what does that term
: mean, and how is it applied to Aircraft Structures?

      A fuselage like a KC-97 or Boeing 377 Stratocruiser (see 
<http://www.ual.com/airline/our_gallery/B377.asp> for a not-very-good
picture of a Stratocruiser; a better picture for showing the double
lobe fuselage is the ugly KC-97 at <http://www.wenet.net/~planenut/KC-97.htm>).
If you look closely at some of the KC-135 pix such as
<http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/kc135-strat/> you can see
that the fuselage is different from the 707 though the actual lobing is
hard to see.
     The lobes are typically independently pressurized.  Also it is 
possible (and I think it was done on the 377) to use the floor structure
at the junction of the lobes to strengthen the entire aircraft.  I also
understand that the KC-135 structure was considerably stronger than the
707's.  This is all information gleaned from sci.aeronautics.airliners
and may be on their FAQ or archives; or I could post the questions again
if it is of sufficient interest.