Wow. Just wow. Here's a simulation of the 757 impacting the Pentagon. A warning, this might be a little disturbing for some. I found it unnerving.
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/cmh/s...e1/10sep02.gif
It's from this page:
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/cmh/simulation/phase1/
Which is a link off the resource page from the link ShaniFaye posted. (the technical one) here:
http://physics911.org/net/modules/ne....php?storyid=3
I'd never thought of it that way since I don't know much about how the Pentagon is constructed. Spoiler:
But if you watch that animation, it shows the 757 being sliced into strips. I never thought of that. But the Pentagon is made tough. Most of the support structures remain intact.
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the bulk of the impact damage is due to the body of fuel in the wing and center tanks. Most of the aircraft structure is light-weight low-mass, and relatively low strength, with the exception of the wheel undercarriage.
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the number of columns destroyed in the facade of the building does not have to correspond to the wing span. The tips of the wings, having less mass, are cut by the columns rather than the wing cutting the columns.
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In the simulation there is little to no wreckage that exists the building. Which is interesting.
I put that part up there in spoiler tags because I didn't want to disturb anyone.