Jeff Kell quotes Yahoo Internet Life (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one):

>>True story?
>>
>>Sometimes it DOES take a rocket scientist: Scientists at NASA built a
>>gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of
>>airliners, military jets, and the space shuttle, all traveling at
>>maximum velocity. The idea was to simulate the frequent incidents of
>>collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.

I don't know about the part with the British engineers, but shooting
chickens at jet engines is a routine part of certification (of the
engines, not the chickens) and has been for many years. The engine has to
be able to ingest the bird without breaking up and flying apart, which
would obviously be dangerous (to the aircraft occupants as well as the
bird).

-- Bruce


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