Comments

In fact, when Boeing built the first 787, one of the concerns was how to handle lightning strikes. The problem is that even though the carbon construction fiber is relatively non-conductive (as compared to a "true conductor"), there is enough conduction as a result of the "other" components that the heat generated as a result of a massive voltage/amperage multi-pulsed load (characteristic of lightning strikes) would cause the structure would heat at the strike contact point and possibly vaporize some of the carbon and form ionic carbon dioxide (which is a much better conductor than the carbon itself). The solution was to embed a copper foil mesh just under the surface of the outer carbon layer and provide an "entry/exit" pathway for the strike. One other characteristic of very high voltage events is that the electricity is carried as a "skin conduction on the surface" (current only flows through a very thin layer - the "corona effect" is what it's called). The intent was to give a "through path" for the power to pass around the outside of the aircraft and re-enter the atmosphere for its trip either "up" or "down" ("to" or "from" the cloud to "earth" - meaning a different "potential" - as applicable) I can see that type of "elevator" construction "possible", but the weight penalty could get excessive - remember - everything needs to be put "up" there in the first place. the copper would be, in effect, a "parasite" (necessary, but not as a structural load carrying piece) BTW - There's a reason lightning rods are attached to grounds with #10 (smallest I've seen) copper wires - the heat generated as a result of a strike will heat the wire quite a bit. It's even possible to "burst" copper wire (literally "explode" - vaporize - say a #30 wire) by applying a pulse of sufficiently high CURRENT. All the wire burst experiments I've ever seen don't have anywhere NEAR the power of a lightning strike, though - "millions" of amps - plus the wire burst is a "single electrical discharge" event - no small amount of electrical power, but nowhere close to an atmospheric lightning discharge