Video of a (simulated) bird strike to a jet engine

[pokerfan]

:scared:

When a bird got swept into the engine of Flight 1549 out of NYC in January, the plane went down. How could a bird do that to a plane engine, you might ask? Well, watch this video to find out:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/02/17/bird-vs-jet-engine

[BattyDem]

1. WTF?!?

:scared:

[Motown_Johnny]

2. Does this need a warning? I am not real big on watching a bird get sucked into an engine

although I am interested in the subject

a computer animation would be more to my taste.

[pokerfan]

5. No bird was harmed in this simulation

They use an explosive charge inside a hollowed out turbine blade to create a worst case scenario of a blade actually breaking if it had been damaged by a bird strike. Most bird strikes merely make a fine red mist rather than do any actual damage. Problems occur when you hit a flock of many birds or larger birds like geese as in the case of the crash.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. thanks.. I watched it.

They could just throw a turkey (one from the grocery store that is oven ready) into the engine too. I could watch that.


I certainly hope this was a worst case... Holy Shit !!!

If I was on that plane the crash would not kill me. My heart would fail from seeing the engine do that.

[pokerfan]

10. They do that as well

Buddy of mine was an engineer with Boeing back in the eighties. He said the more interesting tests were destructive loads on the wings, like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe9PVaFGl3o

[pansypoo53219]

12. MYTH busters!

next season they are gonna so throw things at plane engines i bet.

[Renew Deal]

Turning a chicken into chicken salad.

:D

[NeedleCast]

3. Not the same without using real birds

I've always been curious as to why they can't put a grate of some kind over the front of the engine.

[pokerfan]

9. such a grate would have to be very massive

yet not disrupt airflow into the engine. A large bird at 500mph represents an impressive amount of energy and momentum. Another problem would likely be icing. It's bad enough when control surfaces get iced over but imagine a chunk of ice falling into a spinning engine.

[NeedleCast]

11. Good point

Guess the chance for ice or something else impacting the grate and sending the grate plus the object into the turbines would be a lot worse.

Oh well, back to the drawing board for my get rich quick schemes.

[billybob537]

4. Dammit, How many times do I have to tell you?

Scramble the eggs before they hatch!

[Theaterfan]

6. Wow!

Not fun to watch.

[thevoiceofreason]

7. The comments say it was an explosive charge, not a bird.

[cobalt1999]

13. Here is a better one on overall engine testing and certification

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfXX7qppbc

[aikoaiko]

14. Man sucked through jet intake and lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jxcSY1AwrM

[pokerfan]

15. I've seen that one before

I had no idea he survived. YouTube comments are a riot:

omfg u stupid FUCK...
haha you are the stupid fuck...
you stupid fucking moron...
fucking retard...

[aikoaiko]

16. mythbusters, where are you when we need you.

I suppose trashing jet engines might be a bit of a budget buster.