quote:

Originally posted by XinTX:

quote:

Originally posted by blueye:
Blue Ice.

So it was hit by an ICBM?

Inter Continental Bowel Movement? Otherwise known as a leaking lavatory toilet?

Admit it. You guys just like using the word "Radome." I had to Google it.

The reporting on this story is incompetent.

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:
Admit it. You guys just like using the word "Radome." I had to Google it.

It's a lot easier to use the correct terminology than simply say "that big rounded thing on the nose of the airplane."

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:

quote:

Originally posted by XinTX:

quote:

Originally posted by blueye:
Blue Ice.

So it was hit by an ICBM?

Inter Continental Bowel Movement? Otherwise known as a leaking lavatory toilet?

Blue ice = Icy BM

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:

quote:

Originally posted by JJexp:

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

Lack of blood, feathers, or guts doesn't rule out a bird strike.

True dat. At an airline I once worked for, we had a crew who had the misfortune of disturbing a flock of starlings on the runway at Toronto Pearson. The airplane had over 300 golf ball shaped dents and divots, and nothing more than a greasy smear or two would have ever given away the fact that it was a bird strike event. When I saw the plane, I thought they had managed to fly through a thunderstorm and picked up hail.

The radome in that pic is completely caved in. There's no way some type of blood or guts wouldn't have been in there.

As I said before, I had a crushed radome, with no such evidence.

As a long time ag aviator, I've hit thousands of birds. Out of those thousands, most had no guts or feathers or other indications. One tore the wing leading edge back to the forward spar. I saw it hit. No remains of the bird.

So yes, it's very possible to have a radome completely caved in with no bird remains

Fiberglass radomes sometimes show very little evidence after a bird strike, but may be completely destroyed. I've seen that, too. I had a radome that was crushed, completely wrecked, but intact and which sprung back to hold it's shape. It had to be replaced, along with surrounding structure; no evidence of the bird. Likewise, the bird may crush the radome in, or it may remain intact for appearances; lack of bird parts does not mean it wasn't a bird strike.

Is there an aircraft version of MAACO or do airlines repair this kind of thing in house?

quote:

Originally posted by phydough:
Is there an aircraft version of MAACO or do airlines repair this kind of thing in house?

I would venture to say that that one is "structurally compromised". If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that one is a complete write off, and a replacement will be installed.

Its interesting that this story came up because it relates to something I've been researching for work, "Soft" impacts for polycarbonate sheets. But in researching, alot of the work is done on canopy structures for aiplanes. Apparently, and why I am bringing this up, the technical term I have found for the time duration of the impact is the "squish length" of the bird / closing velocity. I just thought that "squish length" was a great and very appropriate technical term.

Us engineers have a peculiar sense of humor I guess.

Ken

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:

quote:

Originally posted by JJexp:

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

Lack of blood, feathers, or guts doesn't rule out a bird strike.

True dat. At an airline I once worked for, we had a crew who had the misfortune of disturbing a flock of starlings on the runway at Toronto Pearson. The airplane had over 300 golf ball shaped dents and divots, and nothing more than a greasy smear or two would have ever given away the fact that it was a bird strike event. When I saw the plane, I thought they had managed to fly through a thunderstorm and picked up hail.

The radome in that pic is completely caved in. There's no way some type of blood or guts wouldn't have been in there.

As I said before, I had a crushed radome, with no such evidence.

As a long time ag aviator, I've hit thousands of birds. Out of those thousands, most had no guts or feathers or other indications. One tore the wing leading edge back to the forward spar. I saw it hit. No remains of the bird.

So yes, it's very possible to have a radome completely caved in with no bird remains

Fiberglass radomes sometimes show very little evidence after a bird strike, but may be completely destroyed. I've seen that, too. I had a radome that was crushed, completely wrecked, but intact and which sprung back to hold it's shape. It had to be replaced, along with surrounding structure; no evidence of the bird. Likewise, the bird may crush the radome in, or it may remain intact for appearances; lack of bird parts does not mean it wasn't a bird strike.

I've fixed airplanes for 16 years and have yet to see one bird strike that left zero evidence. Out of hundreds. If you look hard enough you will find a feather, claw, blood, streaks of some variety (sometimes they leave a clear yellow film that can only be seen upon a very close inspection). It's harder to find evidence of some than others, but I've never seen a plane come back with nothing. Most if not all of my bird strikes are from under 1000 feet altitude so that may have something to do with it.

This aircraft damage looks very similar and was caused by hail

This link shows an example of similar damage from a birdstrike

Same type of damage, same part of aircraft, much different evidence present.

I am more inclined to think structural failure.
The damage appears too smooth for a strike.

I've only seen a single bird strike incident.
Engine nacelle, wing leading edge and pilot director indicator (PDI) lights. May be the trailing wire antenna bath tub, long ago and memory is foggy but as I recall each location had bird smear marks.

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:


I've fixed airplanes for 16 years and have yet to see one bird strike that left zero evidence. Out of hundreds.

I've fixed airplanes for over three decades, and have seen hundreds that left no evidence, out of thousands of bird strikes.

That really doesn't address what we can't see here, because it's an internet photograph with insufficient information provided, and details which have changed radically since the thread began.

Rest assured, whether you've seen it or not, bird strikes and substantial airframe damage can and do occur without evidence left behind from the bird. I believe I noted the wing peeled back to the spar with zero evidence, other than what I saw when it happened. Perhaps you've had limited exposure and simply haven't encountered it yet. I have, many times. No matter.

As for most bird strikes below 1,000, I've had the majority of mine under that altitude as I spend a lot of time in low-level flight. The most damaging strikes I've experienced, however, including smashed radome, broken windshields, and crushed/opened wing, were higher, and bird strikes occur everywhere from on the runway to the flight levels, day and night.

I've had birds bounce off the aircraft with no damage, become embedded in the aircraft, do damage with no evidence, and I've had their guts blown down my shirt in the cockpit. It doesn't get much more evident than that. It does happen, however, that damage occurs with no bird remains in the damaged area or on the aircraft, and I've seen that many times.

Anyone missing a Cessna 152?

Are we all looking at the same picture? Several have said it looks smooth, but to me the edges look like shards of fiberglass. And I don't think it's the paint because if you look at the upper left quarter of the circle it looks like some of the shards extend into space above the break. I would think paint would have flaked off.

i wonder if he was squalking?

A little better image

COW !

So I sez to Floyd, ther' ain't no way you can raise yer self inta the air in a lawn chair with just helium balloons, and he said that he'd prove me wrong. Reckon I haven't seen him since....