Thursday 23 April 2009

Hmmmmm, I Wonder?


Scientists at Rolls Royce built a gun specifically to
launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners
and military jets all travelling at maximum velocity. The
idea is to simulate the frequent incidents of collisions
with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.

American engineers heard about the gun and were eager
to test it on the windshields of their new high speed
trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to
the American engineers.

When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the
chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the
shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens,
blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's
back-rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall
of the cabin like an arrow shot from a bow.

The horrified Yanks sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results
of the experiment, along with the designs of the
windshield and begged the British scientists for
suggestions.

You're going to love this......

Rolls Royce responded with the following one-line
memo:

Defrost the chicken !

The Penguin

6 comments:

Oldrightie said...

I have experienced a bird strike. It still seems as though it's frozen! Good story, though a bit old.

Dr Evil said...

I don't know if this is true or one of the famous urban myths but it's good.

NASA spent $3 million to create a pen that would write in space. They told the Russians of their great technical achievement. That's great, said the Russkies, but our Cosmonauts use a pencil.

microdave said...

Bird strikes have been reported at well over 30,000 ft, so they really ought to be frozen...

Many years ago I had a sparrow hit my visor when I was doing just 30 mph on a moped - it bloody hurt!!

Anonymous said...

Excellent story, Ranter.
I suppose that's what they call cocklateral damage!

http://darklochnagar.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Its good to see someone is taking the effects of chicken flocks on aircraft seriously.

Anonymous said...

Your photo & headline have just inspired Mr Timney's latest expenses claim!