The Feathered Threat To US Air Superiority

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Mark Thompson writes in Time Magazine that Air Force pilots flying the T-38 Talon can rest easy, knowing that their cockpit canopy can survive hitting a 4-lb. bird at 190 mph. Unfortunately, the Northrop supersonic jet trainer has a top speed of 812 mph. 'To my knowledge, the training planes are the only ones in the Air Force fast enough to make a bird strike lethal, and with a windshield too flimsy to deflect one,' wrote one Air Force pilot. Midair collisions between birds and Air Force aircraft have destroyed 39 planes and killed 33 airmen since 1973. That's why the USAF is seeking comments to 'identify potential sources, materials, timeframe, and approximate costs to redesign, test, and produce 550 T-38 forward canopy transparencies to increase bird strike capability.' The move follows a T-38 crash on July 19 in Texas triggered by a canopy bird strike. 'The current 0.23 inch thick stretched acrylic transparency can resist a 4-pound bird impact at 165 knots which does not offer a capability to resist significant bird impacts, and has resulted in the loss of six (6) aircraft and two pilot fatalities,' the service acknowledged. 'Numerous attempts since 1970 were made to evaluate existing materials and redesign a transparency that could withstand a bird impact of 4 pounds at 400 knots.' Previous efforts have foundered because they'd require expensive cockpit modifications to the twin-engine, two-seat supersonic jet. 'Although it would increase the level of bird impact protection,' the Air Force said, 'the proposal was cancelled due to the high cost of the modification.'"

Too costly

[codeButcher]

I guess a new transparency is still more expensive than 6 aircraft and 2 lives (let alone training costs already spent on them).

Re:T-38 being replaced anyway

[couchslug]

Because replacement isn't likely to happen. The T-38 is a highly refined aircraft, and given the guarantee that a replacement will be grossly over-budget and the certainty the program will be mismanaged it makes sense to assume the Talon will be around a very long time.

Re: Gorilla glass

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

Seriously, building a glass strong enough to withstand bird strikes is not a n issue and hasn't been.

The issue is that the glass has to be weak enough to allow the pilot to break through when he's ejecting. So strong enough for a bird at 800 mph, but weak enough for a human ejecting at maybe 10 mph.

Re: Gorilla glass

[RearNakedChoke]

Seriously, building a glass strong enough to withstand bird strikes is not a n issue and hasn't been.

The issue is that the glass has to be weak enough to allow the pilot to break through when he's ejecting. So strong enough for a bird at 800 mph, but weak enough for a human ejecting at maybe 10 mph.

What's funny is that you're trying to sound knowledgeable on the subject...but then make the completely ridiculous and wrong statement that pilots break through the canopy upon ejection. You have no idea what you're talking about.