Ooooer, look at all them birdies.

[zeitghost]

Dramatic moment birds engulf plane - Telegraph

Just as well it wasn't on take off.

[gingerjedi]

Where's the 'after' picture?

My dad took a business flight on a small turbo prop from Filton when he worked for BAC in the 70's, on take off a large bird (maybe a Heron?) came straight through the front screen and practically disintegrated leaving the dozen or so passengers and crew looking like a scene from a Quentin Tarentino shoot out. They circled and landed, I think he took the train the next day.

True Story.

[wobbegong]

Dramatic moment birds engulf plane - Telegraph

Just as well it wasn't on take off.

Two thoughts occurred (both will probably be subsequently shot down, but hey-ho here goes);

1. As bird usually fly away from loud noises and large imposing objects, is it possible that the birds regarded the plane as a predator and tried to 'mob' it?

2. Why don't airlines fit high tensile fine mesh cones over the engine intakes to prevent birds being drawn in. It's got to be cheaper than a replacement engine (or aircraft)?

[MrRobin]

It's difficult to tell from the photo whether the birds are actually in the aircraft's flight path, or whether they are just somewhere between the photographer and the aircraft.

Airports should have multiple devices to scare birds away e.g. gas guns, decoys etc etc. Don't know why there was such a large flock near this one.

2. Why don't airlines fit high tensile fine mesh cones over the engine intakes to prevent birds being drawn in. It's got to be cheaper than a replacement engine (or aircraft)?

At 500mph, the mesh would aerodynamically resemble a brick wall. Secondly, the engines would not be able to draw in enough air and the efficiency would plummet.

[gingerjedi]

When I worked at an aerospace firm they did make something called a 'birdcatcher' for Dornier, a sort of scoop that sat bellow the engine on a turboprop.

I'm sure it must have been a nickname for the blower intake as I can't see any bird getting passed that prop!!

[northernladuk]

That picture smacks of fake or at very least a trick of distance. She managed to see the birds, pull over, camera out, climb on roof all in time to capture the one shot of the birds inline with the plane?

If they were anywhere near the air front from the plane would have changed the shape of the ball.

How come the birds all have a small white halo around each one but this isn't evident in the plane?

Doesn't look right at all.

[kandr]

That picture smacks of fake or at very least a trick of distance. She managed to see the birds, pull over, camera out, climb on roof all in time to capture the one shot of the birds inline with the plane?

If they were anywhere near the air front from the plane would have changed the shape of the ball.

How come the birds all have a small white halo around each one but this isn't evident in the plane?

Doesn't look right at all.

Yeah shes just sprinkled some iron fillings on the picture.

[TimberWolf]

I saw how wooden propellers of yore were made the other day, which I thought was both interesting and ingenuous. They weren't made from a single piece of wood, but rather multiple planks of thin(ish) wood glued together and temporarily nailed in the middle. Perhaps 10 planks, which were laid on top of each other in to a rough propeller shape that was whittled (or whatever) away to the final shape. When it's finished you can see the different layers as bands and changing patterns and colours along the surface, when you now know what to look for:

You can just about make out these bands in the hub of this (the first suitable) photo I found, although it's prettier along the blade:

[BdP]

Where's the 'after' picture?

My dad took a business flight on a small turbo prop from Filton when he worked for BAC in the 70's, on take off a large bird (maybe a Heron?) came straight through the front screen and practically disintegrated leaving the dozen or so passengers and crew looking like a scene from a Quentin Tarentino shoot out. They circled and landed, I think he took the train the next day.

True Story.

You have a father? Really? Well done!

[hyperD]

I saw how wooden propellers of yore were made the other day, which I thought was both interesting and ingenuous. They weren't made from a single piece of wood, but rather multiple planks of thin(ish) wood glued together and temporarily nailed in the middle. Perhaps 10 planks, which were laid on top of each other in to a rough propeller shape that was whittled (or whatever) away to the final shape. When it's finished you can see the different layers as bands and changing patterns and colours along the surface, when you now know what to look for:

You can just about make out these bands in the hub of this (the first suitable) photo I found, although it's prettier along the blade:

Beautiful!

Nowadays we fly with variable pitch propellers to change the propeller to different thrust levels and air speeds so that the propeller blades don't stall, hence degrading the propulsion system's efficiency, unlike a fixed blade as the one pictured.

Here's a youtube vid of a Thomson Boeing 757 from Manchester having a bird strike on departure, no real problems as both engines are overpowered by 100% but great to hear the radio chatter from the ATC and aircrew.

(SFW)