Aluminum Speed Tape

Aug 5, 2025 1:51 PM

DOcelot1

Views

47156

Likes

2233

Dislikes

38

Probably depends on the airline. If you see Ryanair using something that looks like duct tape, run.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Damn, love everything about this video. The info, the lotr the stache and hair 10/10

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Seeing this waiting for a frontier flight, I was at first horrified then relieved the level headed mechanic taught me things

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

I think Max is pretty cool, so...yep.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I love it when smart people show how things really work.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Incendiary is a great band too

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Here's his YouTube https://youtube.com/@airplanefactswithmax

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That guy is something else

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 2

Submarines. We once went underway with a "hole" that was covered in tape (EB red) and painted over. No issues at depth.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Speed tape. Get the duc outta here…

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Now I understand why they use tape.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

A crisp high 5 to that nerd and a hearty fuck you to the person who put the jet 2 audio on the video.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

We love Max!

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

well I hope it works. What do you do about trapped moisture in there anyway, that'll freeze and potentially be kinda bad I imagine

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

(assuming no condensed water that could just be drained normally) Dried air could be pumped between the materials. Or even purged with some sort of inert gas to push water vapor out.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Just the other day, I was wondering about this dude! Hadn't seen him in a while

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I like him, he seems fun.

1 year ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 3

he also owns 10% of any company he's involved in.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I call him Lord of the Wings

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Duck Tape is the right tape to use since ducks can fly, what better to use on an airplane? It also works on ships since ducks can float. But for a submarine, you should only use Fish Tape.

1 year ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Nah, ducks can dive too. You're still good.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

They'll be fine. Like water off a duck's ass.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I absolutely LOVE this dudes explanations.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

I zoned out for an instant and came back to an entirely different conversation

1 year ago | Likes 321 Dislikes 2

My confidence is inspired by the goth lore.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

i follow this guy on the gram, he's been consistently doing this exact thing for years.

1 year ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

I just love how he relates everything to The Lord of the Rings n such exquisite detail

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Was it the luscious hair?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The tape is used by sauroman to make the nazgul, or someting I dunno

1 year ago | Likes 70 Dislikes 0

Duct Tape Nazgûl would work as a crossover band name, methinks

1 year ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 1

SPEED Tape Nazgul.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

...aka me in every math class ever.

1 year ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

I mean....how long does it take to caulk a joint like that. Okay, I guess the caulk needs to dry. very well, carry on my wayward son.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

My guess is getting the OEM plane techs to come out and do the work, a simple sealant job having an instruction manual 40 pages thick, and let's not forget "You don't have to recall all planes, but the next time you go in for any maintenance it is required that you change out XYZ." Airlines are the safest way to travel and tightening a bold comes with a 50 page manual with multiple oversight checks, but airlines ALSO love to keep planes flying as long as possible to avoid tightening bolts.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Speed Tape is not the same as aluminum tape. Speed tape is metallic with a thicker/stronger adhesive than the aluminum tape you get at the auto or hardware store. Speed tape is suitable for temporary repairs on aircraft and racing cars, as it can stick on the aircraft or vehicle surface at high speeds. Aluminum tape is a thin foil tape with a weaker adhesive, used for various purposes such as insulation, sealing or fixing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1314lez

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 4

What is the backing material used for speed tape? That I’m seeing it’s either aluminum, or aluminum mixed with cloth, which is consistent with his statement of “aluminum based tape”.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Yes, it has some aluminum in it, versus mostly aluminum for the store-bought kind.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

He said it's "an aluminum-based tape", not that it's the literal "aluminum tape" you can get at your local hardware store.

1 year ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

I should have said "purely aluminum tape" about the store-bought kind. The speed tape is some sort of aluminum alloy.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

..Isn't this the guy who starts talking about airplanes and then goes off into LOTR?
... and there it is!

1 year ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 1

I could do without the LOTRE

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

Yes, airplanefactswithmax on IG.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

First time I ever heard of Speed Tape we were waiting in the boarding lounge when we heard that a baggage handler had managed to punch a hole in the fuselage of the plane with fork lift. So maintenance had to send a pic of the hole to the plane's manufacturer so they could confirm that it was a hole rather than a tear. And then they patched it with Tape and we were good to go. (No idea what happened to the baggage handler tho.)

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

From watching a lot of Mentor Pilot content, probably nothing? It seems a lot of airline industry oopsies tend not to come with a blame or punishment as that would cause people not to speak up about oopsies in the future. Obviously a huge hole would get noticed, but what if a 2nd guy touched a plane with a forklift and put a tiny dent in it? Would that dent contact a wire within the plane? Or pop a rivet/weld in the exact worst place? Its better to ask "what is the best way to fix this." 1/?

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

That's really only for pilots.Ground crew don't have the same level of protection.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

For a forklift incident the questions would be 1: Is there a way to increase forklift visibility with mirrors. 2: Is there a way to do X without the forklift, 3: would an external spotter help, 4: is forklift training good enough, etc etc. Some really intense accidents end in a pilot just being made to go through X hours of training and pass a new test. 2/2

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

I was gonna talk about why the tape isnt as bad as you think, but a better nerd beat me to it.

1 year ago | Likes 629 Dislikes 5

But how long until the final repairs are made??? Hmmm

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It depends on what was "fixed" or actually deferred with the tape. Some items are no-go items that cannot be taped over. The repair categories are as follows: Category A: fixed in accordance with the MEL time frame, Cat B: 3 days, Cat C: 10 days, Cat D: 120 days. MEL is our Minimum Equipment List. It is a list of what can be broken and how to work around it.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

can..can you put in Knight Rider/ Airwolf facts ?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I would actually argue that seeing speed tape getting applied is a good sign, because it means they were paying attention, caught something that was wrong, and your aircraft is now operating with a shiny brand new component that's highly unlikely to fail.

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Didn't this very same airplane / Tolkien nerd also include "and Epstein didn't kill himself" into another of his PSA's?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

They were faster than you the same way Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were faster than the Nazgûl

1 year ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 1

Faster? They got caught by them like 9 times half the movie is " the nazgul catch the people with shorter legs because short leg move slow" but I appreciate the integration of the lore and your efforts <3.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 2

I mean, GhostTater did catch up... the person in the video just got away again :D

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

this is one hard nerd to beat

1 year ago | Likes 69 Dislikes 1

They’re easier to beat when they’re hard

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

S tier nerd right there.

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

One nerd to teach them, one nerd to remind them...

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

And in the lore books, bind them?

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It usually makes it easier to beat them when they're hard

1 year ago | Likes 24 Dislikes 0

IDK about easier but it's certainly more fun

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

I mean, when they're soft, it's just awkward for everyone.

1 year ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

He did seem like quite the nerd. Is he like the final nerd boss or is there still a giganerd to worry about?

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 1

You'll only find out after you beat him.

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 1

I first defeat him. And the he enters his second phase, obliterating me instantly.

1 year ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 1

First phase is Tolkien lore and aircraft engineering. Second phase is Warhammer 40k and blockchain

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

While Duck is a brand of duct tape, you know the original guy just thinks it's called duck tape.

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 6

It was originally duck tape, duct tape came later. It's named after it being water-resistant, like a duck is.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

Duck tape was the original name before it became a brand. "Duck" is a type of loose-knit cotton gauze, which you might recognize as one of the main components of the tape.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Also you should NOT use duc(t/k) on ducts. It's bad in pretty much every possible way. It can't handle the temperature ranges of either the hot or cold temps used in HVAC. The adhesive degrades in way that both flakes and gums up making it a pain to remove. It doesn't seal well. It's a potential fire hazard. It can trap moisture. It's not durable and will naturally degrade pretty quickly. Use either a Foil Backed HVAC tape or duct mastic.

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Honestly in pretty much every possible use case duct tape is near the worst tape to use. If you want a better general purpose tape gaffers tape is also fabric backed, is actually abrasion resistant, doesn't leave a sticky residue, and is stronger. Short maybe camping or kayaking duct tape kind of sucks, and even its butyl adhesive tape is generally better.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

For tape, duck and duct are interchangeable for all intensive purposes.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 5

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

I’m just saying: you understand their meaning either way so I could care less which one they use.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

they're squinting at "intensive purposes" (*intents and* purposes)

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

We Speed Tape lots of stuff in the airline industry. Speed tape makes the difference between going or potentially canceling a flight for maintenance. They don't speed tape safety critical items.

1 year ago | Likes 260 Dislikes 3

Question - how does that rule apply to boeing aircraft? as I understand it, they use a different scope when defining of safety critical items.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Just wait until they discover the MEL.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Probably didn't have time to apply aerodynamic sealant.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Applying sealant takes little time. Waiting for sealant to cure grounds flights.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

What about duck tape ? Or even duct tape ?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Duck tape is a high-adhesion cloth backed waterproof tape, originally produced for the military. The commercial "Duck" branded tape is just plain ol' plastic duct tape playing off the name. Duck tape and duct tape are both used in aviation, but not for the same purpose as speed tape.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I got on a flight once that had an ungodly amount of black smoke coming out of the left prop. As I was watching this I see a tech shrug, close the access panel, and tape it. If it wasn't a short flight (and I knew that most planes can fly with one engine) I'd have gotten off.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

the silly part is laypeople assuming that airlines make unsafe kludges in plain view

1 year ago | Likes 44 Dislikes 1

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1 year ago (deleted Oct 1, 2025 9:22 AM) | Likes 0 Dislikes 0

The use of Speed Tape does not necessarily imply incorrect MX. You cannot speed tape over tire cords or fuel leaks, for example.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Laypeople make that assumption a lot, and a bunch of them vote for dumb assholes who tell them the easy solution is the best one

1 year ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 1

They don't admit speed taping safety critical items in the US.

1 year ago | Likes 62 Dislikes 10

considering that the tape is visible, one would think someone knowledgeable would notice

1 year ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 0

I always have the option of refusing the jet if I don't like the tape job.

1 year ago | Likes 36 Dislikes 1

For now.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 3

Honest question. Not being accusatory. But do you think if I was in my seat and saw a obvious misuse of speed tape in the plane that if I complaned and left the aircraft I'd get a refund?

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

I don't think you would get a refund, but if you had a legitimate safety question ask to talk to the captain. I had a pax ask if we had a flat nose tires. I had personally checked them on the walk around and I knew they were not flat. He persisted and we talked about his safety concern. I found that he thought the chines on the front tires made them look flat but they were properly inflated. He accepted that answer after he Googled "tire chines".

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

maybe you already knew this, but airlines don't like to lose planes no matter the country - bad for business

1 year ago | Likes 18 Dislikes 1

Planes are insured, and the US government will bail out any major corporations which don't feel like bothering their shareholders.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 4

Insurance doesn't cover the 10 year waiting list on a new jet.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

insurance gets more expensive when used, and doesn't cover from subsequent loss of business due to reputation loss

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

US airlines don't like losing planes. Losing planes means people buy tickets from other airlines.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

So how much does that cost? I doubt it's the same aluminium tape that's sold in shops all around.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

As that is used for primarily for HVAC sealant and not aircraft, I'd assume the tape is thinner, with a adhesive that is less robust than the speed tape (since it doesn't need to withstand the high speed wind or rain).

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

Forgot the pricing, ebay has quite a few listings of course, but there's 32 dollars for 3 inch Nitto brand speed tape (60 yards), and $50 for 6 inch (same brand and length).

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

It’s pretty expensive, last one I got was $65 for a 20 foot roll about 6-7 years ago. Needed it for some minor skin cracking until I could get new panels installed. Sold the rest of the tape with the airplane.

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Not sure on cost, but I presume the common silver-colored tape you’re thinking of duct tape. It’s named that and colored silver because its primary use is sealing gaps on galvanized metal ducting for HVAC systems. That has fabric mesh in it for strength, but it is not actually aluminum.

This tape is much more robust, since it’s basically a strip of metal foil on the outside so that it withstands much harsher conditions.

1 year ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 2

I meant the aluminium tape, not the basic duct tape. I've used it in guitars to prevent noise in pickup slots.

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

That's probably plain HVAC repair, not speed tape. Speed tape is made to aviation/military specifications, it's usually thicker than the HVAC tape, and is usually insanely expensive. I have also shielded my guitars with both kinds (former aircraft mechanic), and the speed tape was a lot harder to work with.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No it's not the same. Probably a similar construction, but the speed tape has better adhesive.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I've used it for a temporary fix on the exhaust of my clothes dryer

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Also used to tape the seams of the aluminium paper inside sauna walls. It's a steam barrier because can't use plastic in the heat.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Is it a fairly heavy tape? I think I still have some in my tool box. We didn’t call it speed tape though.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

duct tape is polyester with reinforcing fibers; speed tape is thick aluminum foil
also I think the glue is stronger, less gooey so it doesn't slip with the fast moving air

1 year ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

There's also Milspec/ASTM D5486M Type IV "100mph tape" , aka High-Speed tape (from the "high speed low drag" ethos), the super sticky waterproof cloth backed tape (actual "duck" tape, not the plastic duct tape) that the military uses for practically everything and is used quite frequently in aviation.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That’s what I have. I used to work aerospace manufacturing. We used it for different purposes. We just called it aluminum tape.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It has a very strong acrylic adhesive that weathers very well snd most importantly, its adhesion to itself is essentially a structural bond so it cam be layered. It will remain attached to the skin of an aircraft at 450 mph.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

I ought to get a bit of that just to play with it.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Wear gloves

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

3M aluminum duct sealing tape (such as #425) comes on a silicone release liner which makes it easier to cut to size and apply without getting skin oils on the adhesive. It is not cheap but it is great for emergency repairs, just be aware because the backing is thick aluminum foil - the edges can be sharp. Burnish them down with spoon or something like that. My bumper was held on with this tape for two years. It can be torn by hand so apply it perpendicular to direction it is being stressed.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0