Claire Thompson
The Goodyear Aerospace Corporation (GAC) was the aerospace and defense subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. In the 1970s, Goodyear Aerospace developed a chicken gun, a large-diameter, compressed-air gun used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components to simulate bird strikes. The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942, and the devices have been used to test aircraft components such as windshields, canopies, and engines. While chickens are the most commonly used bird due to their availability, other species are also used.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chicken cannon at Goodyear Aerospace | No explicit mention found |
| Chicken cannon | A large-diameter, compressed-air gun used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components to simulate bird strikes during flight |
| First chicken cannon | Built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration in collaboration with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company |
| Purpose | To test the strength of aircraft components, particularly jet engines and aircraft windshields, which are vulnerable to bird strikes |
| Speed | The first chicken cannon could fire bird carcasses at up to 400 mph (640 km/h), with most tests conducted at around 270 mph (430 km/h) |
| Ammunition | Chickens are the most common due to their availability, but other bird species are also used; artificial bird analogs have been developed due to animal rights concerns |
| Goodyear Aerospace | The aerospace and defense subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; it was sold to Loral in 1987 and later acquired by Lockheed Martin in 1993 |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken guns/cannons are used to test aircraft components
Chicken guns, also known as chicken cannons, are large-diameter, compressed-air guns used to fire bird carcasses, typically chickens, at aircraft components. The tests simulate bird strikes, which are a significant hazard to flight safety, particularly during takeoff and landing. The tests are crucial for aircraft certification and ensuring flight safety.
The first recorded chicken gun was developed in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration and Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. This chicken gun was capable of firing bird carcasses at extremely high speeds, up to 400 miles per hour (640 km/h). The tests conducted with this early chicken gun revealed the vulnerability of common passenger aircraft windshields to bird strikes.
Over the years, various organizations have utilized chicken guns to test aircraft components. Goodyear Aerospace, which was the aerospace and defense subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, developed a chicken gun in the 1970s. The National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Flight Impact Simulator Facility is another prominent example, housing multiple cannons, including the Super Cannon, which is one of the largest operating guns in the world.
The NRC conducts two types of aircraft bird strike tests. The first type targets structural components such as windshields, wings, and tail sections. The second type involves firing a bird into an operating engine. These tests are carefully calibrated to match the speeds of aircraft during different phases of flight, including takeoff, initial climb, cruise, approach, and landing.
While the use of real birds in tests has been a subject of debate due to animal rights concerns, engineers have expressed the importance of using actual bird carcasses to accurately represent the forces involved in bird strikes. The FAA, however, does not specify the species of bird used for testing but does state that frozen birds should not be used as they do not accurately reflect the reality of a strike.
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Goodyear Aerospace developed a chicken gun in the 1970s
The Goodyear Aerospace Corporation (GAC) was the aerospace and defence subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. In 1963, the company became known as Goodyear Aerospace to reflect its diverse range of products, which included radar, aircraft canopies, bulletproof glass, and spacecraft-related products.
In the 1970s, Goodyear Aerospace developed a chicken gun, also known as a turkey gun or rooster booster. This large-diameter, compressed-air gun is used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components, simulating bird strikes during flight. Bird strikes are a significant hazard to flight safety, particularly during takeoff and landing when crew workload is highest and there is little time to recover before a potential impact with the ground.
The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration in collaboration with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. This gun was capable of firing bird carcasses at up to 400 miles per hour (640 km/h). However, most tests were conducted at lower speeds of around 270 miles per hour (430 km/h).
Goodyear Aerospace's chicken gun was likely developed to contribute to aviation safety by testing aircraft components. The use of chicken carcasses in these tests is due to their availability and similarity in size to other bird species. While chickens are the most commonly used, other bird species are also employed in aircraft testing and certification.
Today, organizations like the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) continue to use chicken guns to test aircraft components. The NRC possesses four guns, including the Super Cannon, which is one of the largest operating guns globally.
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Chicken guns/cannons are also called flight impact simulators
Chicken guns, also known as flight impact simulators, are large-diameter, compressed-air guns used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components. This is done to simulate high-speed bird strikes during an aircraft's flight, which is a significant hazard to flight safety. Jet engines and aircraft windshields are particularly vulnerable to damage from such strikes and are common targets for testing. The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration in collaboration with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. It was capable of firing bird carcasses at up to 400 miles per hour (640 km/h).
Chicken guns acquired their name due to the use of chickens as the most common 'ammunition'. This is because chickens are cheap and readily available. The use of chicken guns helps to test the structural components of an aircraft, such as the wing and tail sections, glass canopies, and windshields. They are also used to simulate the potential impact on operating engines. Aircraft manufacturers and the military are the most common users of chicken guns, relying on these tests to demonstrate compliance with certification requirements.
There have been efforts to develop artificial bird analogs for impact tests to replace the use of carcasses. This is due to concerns about reproducibility, cost, and sensitivity to animal rights activists. However, some engineers have expressed doubts about the accuracy of tests with artificial birds, as they lack bones and may not represent the forces involved in real bird strikes accurately.
Chicken cannons have been used by various organizations to test aircraft components, including the National Research Council of Canada's Aerospace Research Centre. In the 1970s, Goodyear Aerospace also developed a chicken gun, contributing to advancements in aircraft testing and safety.
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The FAA requires poultry tests for jet engine certification
The FAA has strict oversight over aircraft certification, and while it does not specify the species of bird to be used in bird strike tests, it does require that the birds are not frozen. The FAA requires that aircraft designs comply with its regulations, and ground and flight tests are conducted to demonstrate the aircraft's safety.
The "chicken cannon" is a colloquial term for a large-diameter, compressed-air gun used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components, particularly jet engines and windshields, to simulate bird strikes. The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration, and it was capable of firing bird carcasses at up to 400 miles per hour.
In the 1970s, Goodyear Aerospace developed a chicken gun that stored compressed air in a large accumulator. Similar guns were also developed in other countries, including the UK and Canada. These guns are used to test the resilience of aircraft components to bird strikes, which can cause extensive damage and even loss of life.
The FAA requires poultry tests, or "chicken ingestion tests", for jet engine certification. The tests are conducted in a concrete building large enough to enclose the entire jet engine. With the engine operating at full speed, the cannon shoots chicken carcasses into the turbine at 180 mph. This test is designed to simulate a bird strike, which is a significant hazard to flight safety, particularly during takeoff and landing.
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The use of real birds in tests is controversial
Additionally, the use of real birds in tests has raised ethical concerns among animal rights activists. As a result, there have been efforts to develop artificial bird analogs for use in impact tests, such as birds made of clay or plastic. However, some engineers are reluctant to switch to artificial birds as they believe that the tests with these analogs do not accurately represent the forces involved in real bird strikes due to the absence of bones.
The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration in collaboration with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. This chicken gun was capable of firing bird carcasses at up to 400 miles per hour (640 km/h), with most tests conducted at muzzle velocities of around 270 miles per hour (430 km/h). The tests conducted with this gun showed that the glass used in common passenger aircraft windshields was extremely vulnerable to bird strikes.
In the early 1960s, there were two separate incidents where bird strikes caused the crash of aircraft, resulting in the deaths of 62 and 17 people, respectively. These crashes led aviation regulators to examine the certification standards of commercial planes and engines and develop ways to test aircraft components for bird strikes, including the use of chicken guns.
Goodyear Aerospace, a subsidiary of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, was involved in the development of aircraft canopies and bulletproof glass, among other products. While there is no specific mention of Goodyear Aerospace using a chicken cannon in its tests, the company was acquired by Lockheed Martin in 1993, which also acquired the defense systems unit of Loral, including the now-retired Goodyear Blimp designs.
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Frequently asked questions
No, but there was a chicken cannon at the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Goodyear Aerospace was an aerospace and defence company.
A chicken cannon is a large-diameter, compressed-air gun used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components to simulate bird strikes.
Bird strikes are some of the most dangerous threats to aircraft, even the military's most sophisticated machines. They can cause millions of dollars worth of damage and sometimes lead to the loss of life.
Bird strikes occur when a bird collides with an aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing. The speed of these collisions can be around 350 km/h (220 mph).
The FAA does not specify the species of bird used for testing, but states that the birds should not be frozen. Chickens are often used because they are cheap and readily available.
