and we thought we knew all the uses of duct tape

I'm sure duct tape in that amount would hold for awhile. I am skeptical, however, of why they would have so much on hand. Seems like cheaper, easier ways to fix a plane, unless you happened to be carrying a s**tload of duct tape for some reason.

Here are some clips from the Mythbusters episode where they test duct tape's strength.
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-duct-tape/

"I am skeptical, however, of why they would have so much on hand."

They didn't. Says early on that they had it delivered.

If only poor Icarus had duct tape rather than wax and feathers :)

Good job on the plane– enough to get it back to a facility for a proper repair. Those planes are mostly fabric covered, so the duct tape is reasonable (although heavy). Good case for an electric fence!