They HAVE to be tough, to be able to stay intact at heavy winds and to be able to keep decapitating birds without suffering too much structural damage.
From what little I understand, it's actually largely just really stupid stuff like grit and dust eroding the aerodynamic surfaces of the blades. No one bit of grit does a huge amount of damage, but those things are out in the weather all day every day, and that takes it's toll...
In seriousness, yeah, I don't doubt it. A bit like how most of the wear that appears on ship propellers actually comes from air bubbles that they create. (Cavitation)
They HAVE to be tough, to be able to stay intact at heavy winds and to be able to keep decapitating birds without suffering too much structural damage.
From what little I understand, it's actually largely just really stupid stuff like grit and dust eroding the aerodynamic surfaces of the blades. No one bit of grit does a huge amount of damage, but those things are out in the weather all day every day, and that takes it's toll...
In seriousness, yeah, I don't doubt it. A bit like how most of the wear that appears on ship propellers actually comes from air bubbles that they create. (Cavitation)