True story?? Maybe!!!

[Matt Probst]

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 was to simulate the frequent 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 new Amtrak 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.
The horrified Yanks sent Rolls Royce the disastrous results of the experiment along with the designs of the wind shield and begged the British scientists for suggestions.
Rolls Royce responded with a one line memo:............
"Defrost the chicken"

Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist!!!

 

[Tyson Rayles]

 

[interurban]

Trust a Brit

Shoot it, freeze it Defrost it, shoot it

 

[MCL_RDG]

I saw the...

...video tape/show on a cable channel showing the birds being blasted at the cockpit glazing. Pretty kewl stuff.

I think someoene's tossin' the "bull" with that story- but it makes for fun reading!



Mark

 

[rich maiorano]

ROTFL rich

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Actually the true story was in Reader's Digest quoted from elsewhere a few years ago. The Brits were wanting to test the strength of jet aircraft windshields, and asked the Americans for ideas. The Americans suggested shooting a chicken at the windshield. When the Brits did it and saw the windshield disintegrate they asked the Americans what went wrong. They were told, "Thaw the chicken first."

 

[gerbs4me]

Thats the funniest thing I heard all day!!!!

 

[TR-Flyer]

Naw Russ, it had to be the other way around. Since Lucas makes the refridgerators in Briton, NOTHING could possibly ever get cold enough to freeze!

Love that Bass ale.

Regards,
Ted

 

[shaygetz]

Yeeesh...so that's where Micky D's gets their McNuggets?

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Originally posted by TR-Flyer
Naw Russ, it had to be the other way around. Since Lucas makes the refridgerators in Briton, NOTHING could possibly ever get cold enough to freeze!

Love that Bass ale.

Regards,
Ted

I forgot about "Lucas, prince of darkness!" My brother collects British sports cars and has a classic Triumph Bonneville motorcycle as well, and I regularly kid him about needing a spare car.

 

[scoobyloven]

that was a good one good thing it was only a chicken and not a turkey i got a good laugh out of it and was sitting here thanking on what that would look like seeing a chicken fly head on to a wind sheld when they can't fly to begin with

 

[Matthyro]

Here in Canada there is a comedy show called Air Farce and each week they fire a chicken canon at the photo of politicians or other country leaders who goof up. Along with the chicken, they add things like baked beans and such. Great fun.

 

[Pitchwife]

Russ is Right

I happen to know that the story is true. It happened some number of years ago. My brother-n-law was working for McDonald Douglas and was part of the crew that carried out the tests. Since the tests weren't classified we got to hear the whole story.

 

[TR-Flyer]

Well Clark,
If Russ is right, then the English must have been using German refridgerators!

Russ: The Triumph IS the spare car! Great little vehicles those British sports cars. Lotta fun to drive. The local British sports car club just had a get together at a local park. Took my Volvo P1800S down to compare notes and lament about the Lucas electronics, anyone else ever owned a "modern" car with only three fuses?, and the "wonderful" Zenith Stromberg carbs, "Waddaya mean ya smell gas?".

Despite it all, wouldn't trade my 1800 for a McLaren. Wouldn't mind owning a McLaren, just wouldn't trade my 1800 for it! Now, a '67 red XKE....hmmmmm......

Vroom Vroommm, sputter sputter sputter....
Ted

 

[Pitchwife]

About your Triumph, TR-Flyer, I can understand your enthusiasum. The first car I ever owned was a 1960 bugeyed Austin Healy Sprite. Top speed was only 70 MPH flat out, but it had a turning radius of about 12 feet. It was so much fun to drive. Sometimes I still miss her.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Originally posted by Pitchwife
About your Triumph, TR-Flyer, I can understand your enthusiasum. The first car I ever owned was a 1960 bugeyed Austin Healy Sprite. Top speed was only 70 MPH flat out, but it had a turning radius of about 12 feet. It was so much fun to drive. Sometimes I still miss her.

The Bugeye is my brother's favorite. He used to race it in SCCA production class races. It has since had the lights replaced, a full interior and windshield added, but he hasn't figured out what to do with the suspension. The method of "setting the car up" for racing was to heat the springs with a torch until the suspension settles down on the bump stops, and then go racing. He likes the look of it lowered, but it has no suspension travel so it is a real "kidney pounder." He would like to find a method of installing a suspension without having to raise the car back up, but hasn't thought of anything, yet.

 

[Pitchwife]

Hi Russ
I don't know how anyone could lower a sprite, I couldn't go over a pop can without knocking it over. One time my dad accidentally backed into the drivers side door. I wasn't much of a dent, but the body shop wanted to keep the car for two weeks to fix it. There was no way that I was going to be without a car for that long, so I unbolted the door and took it down to them. During those two weeks I got the experiance of looking down and seeing the pavement zipping by at 70 MPH not more than six inches below me. Definately seat belt time!

 

[jwmurrayjr]

Originally posted by Pitchwife
About your Triumph, TR-Flyer, I can understand your enthusiasm. The first car I ever owned was a 1960 bugeyed Austin Healy Sprite. Top speed was only 70 MPH flat out, but it had a turning radius of about 12 feet. It was so much fun to drive. Sometimes I still miss her.

Same here. First car was a 1960 white BE Sprite with 3 red strips down the center. Fun, fun fun!