Dilandu wrote:TFLYTSNBN wrote:
If you calculate the energy content of the fuel loads of the aircraft, it was comparable to a tactical nuke. Given slightly different timing, the casualties would have equaled Hiroshima.
As Joat24 already calculated, you are wrong by several orders of magnitude.
smr wrote:I think fly is correct because I saw a special that discussed this very issue. Now, don't shoot the messenger because my memory could be faulty or the numbers could be incorrect from the documentary. This documentary was on the History Channel or History channel 2 when it was in operation and on my cable package.
If we say that the aviation fuel released the same amount of energy as a 15kt nuke a lot of the WTC would have been reduced to a puddle of melted steel and concrete during the fire. It's simple physics and anyone can multiply 120 tons with the kerosene's specific energy content to get the total optimal energy possible, but to get the maximum energy out of burning aviation fuel you need the right amount of oxygen and the fuel/air ratio for that is 0.017, ie 17 units of fuel for 1000 units of air which can never be achieved during a fire.
Note though, the US among others have tactical nukes in the range of 600 tons of TNT, but there is a substantial difference between burning aviation fuel and a nuke going off.