The point about the envelope material is particularly salient as it seems that the original material had been doped with a mixture containing aluminium powder and iron oxide to conduct static electricity acros the envelope and ensure that it was completely earthed when she was docked.
Although it cannot be proved that this was the cause of the initial fire, it’s worth pointing out that aluminium-iron oxide mixtures have a generic name.
Thermite.
If it was a static discharge causing the envelope to ignite, as has been hypothesised, from that instant she was doomed by a self-propogating, violently exothermic reaction. This is bad thing in a vehicle containing hydrogen in bags… Of course, a similar reaction would alo occur if the Hydrogen had ignited first!
Adrian
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