Static Dischargers

Thanks WYSIWYG, that was nearly as thoughtfully described as old Phobes, my 4th form Physics Master would have made it. :rolleyes:

Even now I can still recall making an “Electric Shock Machine” from some instructions in a 1950’s vintage library book called “101 things for a boy to make”, when I was about 10 years of age. My dad was the one who really wanted to do it, and I believe he still has it in the shed. We had to make our own coil and fill the core full of metal rods (about the thickness of welding rods). With some other extra bits of copper and wire, the whole thing was mounted on a wooden base, and a cover put on it. All you were given to hold were two 6″ long lengths of copper pipe, one in each hand, which were soldered to wires leading into the box. You couldn’t tell that completing the circuit inside (thanks to a 6V battery) produced an output via the coil and through the handles of around 50V. Boy did we have fun seeing who could hold on the longest?? Darned thing would probably be illegal these days!! 😡

The Airbus picture shows a static port as Monndance says. This measures the ambient atmospheric pressure for use by the air data system for instrument indications, etc. The fuellers will attach an earthing cable to the aircraft undercarriage in order to avoid static discharge while refuelling. The static wicks on the control surfaces purely dissipate static charge in flight. An generator creates electricity by turning a coil in a magnetic field. The aircraft is effectively equivalent to the coil flying through the earths magnetic field. This is how the charge is generated and somehow these wicks allow that charge to dissipate back to the atmosphere.

Also so they dont blow the plane up refuelers “earth” it to the ground when refueling so nothing ignites their truck or the planes fuel tanks

I’m sorry I cant answer your question, but don’t they also appear below the cockpit on Airbuses? Got this on a pic of mine…see the highlighted area.

I suspect you are confusing Static Discharge Wicks with Static ports for the air data system – they look like the static ports on the Airbus (but hey, I don’t drive them, so what do I know?)
The Static Wicks just ensure that any electric charge on the aircraft (be it from motion through the atmosphere or lightning strike) dissipates to the atmosphere (but, no I don’t know exactly HOW they work, but pretty simple I’m sure – higher charge on the aircraft, flowing to an area of lower charge around it?)

I’m sorry I cant answer your question, but don’t they also appear below the cockpit on Airbuses? Got this on a pic of mine…see the highlighted area.