In bowling a strike is the best strike, which you can do. In aviation jargon, however, a strike occurs when a bird suddenly crosses the trajectory of the aircraft. Usually with a predictable outcome for the birds. Birds and planes collide not so rare. Not long ago, the Japanese airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in new York, because a bird hit the plane, another plane was forced to return to Cardiff airport in Wales after a bird hit the engine.
In 2016, it was confirmed 1835 hits birds in the UK alone – eight cases for every 10,000 flights. For airlines this is a serious event: the aircraft, which hit the birds, it is necessary to investigate on the subject of invisible damage that can be dangerous if they are not found.
Only about 5% of hits birds cause damage to aircraft. But because of all the stress precaution the aircraft returned to the nearest airport, and passengers connecting onto another flight with another crew. All this affects the operations of the airport. To determine indirect costs is also difficult. Estimates for North America, this translates into $ 500 million, writes The Conversation.
Pryg-Skok
Birds do not fly high. Research from 2006 showed that three quarters of collisions with birds occur below 150 meters, when the plane just takes off or is landing. The speed of the aircraft at this time is lower than the mark and quick evasive maneuvers to carry out difficult. The outcome mostly depends on what part of the plane beats the bird. Planes are built to resist powerful forces, therefore, even though engineers and worry, particularly worry about.
Aircraft engines, for example, are very reliable. Certification criteria include a rule that large engines should withstand a collision with a bird weighing more than 3.5 kg without the dangerous and quick release sharp pieces of the engines. In fact most engines can swallow a bird and only a little damage the blade.
Double hit birds in the engine, it is extremely unlikely (though it happens), but if one engine goes down due to bird hits, this is not critical. All the planes handle the output of one engine failure. Most of them can overcome the ocean on one engine.
However, not only the engines are at risk in contact with birds. The Windows in the cockpit, too, can be broken. But make them from three layers of laminated acrylic and glass, designed to withstand hail in the heart of the storm, so the birds do not pose a problem. The many layers also ensures the integrity of the aircraft even in case of damage to the outer layers. Also pilots are trained to enable heating of the glass below the ice would not numeral at altitude, before takeoff; so the glass becomes softer and more resistant to shocks.
Prevention and detection
So the birds have not suffered from such a terrible fate, airports are also taking various measures to prevent them even come close to the aircraft. Used recording sounds of birds of prey, ammunition, producing a loud noise and flashes of light, mechanical falcons, trained falcons and drones. These measures work in the short term, but it is believed that birds quickly get used to them. In addition, birds like airports. Large, green, empty areas, surrounded by trees and bunkers, very attract wildlife.
Quite often there is an assumption that the engines must be protected by a grille, but it’s not so easy to do. The problem is that in order to effectively block the bird at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour, the grid needs to be very durable and thick, but it will prevent the flow of air into the engine. Engines effective because carefully designed to use the thin air at altitude, so the protective grille cons outweigh the pros.
Since commercial drones are becoming more common, the industry calls for systems that will inform drivers about how serious a blow that they could continue to fly, if there is no damage. Researchers from Cardiff and Imperial universities in the UK and from around the world are working on various sensors and materials, which will be able to assess the health of the aircraft and eliminate the need to interrupt the flight.
The idea is to develop a low-power, lightweight, wireless system that can determine the location and strength of damage. Certification of such a system may take more than a decade, but in the end, the pilots will be able to obtain information about the possibility of safe continuation of flight after impact. If they need to land, techs will know where to look, and spare parts are already ready.
And yet – warning, design and thorough training of pilots will remain our only defense against hits birds.
What happens when a bird collides with a plane?
Ilya Hel