'Doomsday' plane taken out by a bird

[UM-Bot]

An aircraft designed to survive a nuclear apocalypse recently suffered a rather unfortunate mishap.

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/331389/us-navys-doomsday-plane-taken-out-by-a-bird

[Tatetopa]

It sounds callous, but would it not have been a good idea to try and complete the mission on three engines? If there is a nuclear war, one might assume that all birds not taken out might be in panicked flight. If the plane can't do it, time to go back to the drawing board.

[L.A.T.1961]

3 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

It sounds callous, but would it not have been a good idea to try and complete the mission on three engines? If there is a nuclear war, one might assume that all birds not taken out might be in panicked flight. If the plane can't do it, time to go back to the drawing board.

I would think it could fly on three engines but not during a training run, health and safety of crew would come first. In a war they would keep going.  

[Tatetopa]

4 hours ago, L.A.T.1961 said:

I would think it could fly on three engines but not during a training run, health and safety of crew would come first. In a war they would keep going.  

I agree that is a good point.  However, it may be  regrettable to go to war with weapons and defenses that have never been tested

[AstralHorus]

Reminds me of the titanic lol

[Timothy]

2 hours ago, Tatetopa said:

I agree that is a good point.  However, it may be  regrettable to go to war with weapons and defenses that have never been tested

Hiya.

They test by cutting operational engines mid-flight under controlled conditions. 4 turbine RPT jets are quite hardy, and once at cruising altitude, more so. (Volcanic ash or similar is one of the biggest natural threats once cruising at altitude.)

Like @L.A.T.1961 said, it’s OH&S to return after an unplanned failure or bird strike. 

You have a tyre blowout, you don’t continue to drive in it because you can. You get it fixed so that your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition and better equipped to avoid future issues. 

[Tatetopa]

2 hours ago, Timothy said:

They test by cutting operational engines mid-flight under controlled conditions. 4 turbine RPT jets are quite hardy, and once at cruising altitude, more so. (Volcanic ash or similar is one of the biggest natural threats once cruising at altitude.)

Good point thanks.  I know most commercial planes can fly with one engine out but you are right they are going to land as quickly as possible. So Timothy, you know more than I do about it. thoughts on viability after a nuclear attack?  Won't there be dust and ash kicked up high in the atmosphere and similar to volcanic ash? Is a flying command and control center hardened enough to survive?

[Farmer77]

6 minutes ago, Tatetopa said:

Good point thanks.  I know most commercial planes can fly with one engine out but you are right they are going to land as quickly as possible. So Timothy, you know more than I do about it. thoughts on viability after a nuclear attack?  Won't there be dust and ash kicked up high in the atmosphere and similar to volcanic ash? Is a flying command and control center hardened enough to survive?

While nothing in an engine is good, the specific melting temperature of volcanic ash is the problem in jet engines IIRC it turns into like a liquid glass.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Farmer77

[Susanc241]

Not being technically minded to the degree required here, I have always wondered why jet engines couldn�t be fitted with a mesh screen, perhaps domed shaped and with the rigid mesh having, say, two inch openings. That would stop birds like geese etc being ingested. Or perhaps such a mesh would just pre dice said birds into smaller pieces. What do you experts know?

Edited October 20, 2019 by Susanc241
Garbled predictive text.

[AllPossible]

7 hours ago, AstralHorus said:

Reminds me of the titanic lol

Iceberg Dead Ahead *side swipes it*

[AllPossible]

This happened to me before but while I was on my bicycle. I was going probably 11mph but when I hit the pavement it didn't feel good

[L.A.T.1961]

9 hours ago, Susanc241 said:

Not being technically minded to the degree required here, I have always wondered why jet engines couldn�t be fitted with a mesh screen, perhaps domed shaped and with the rigid mesh having, say, two inch openings. That would stop birds like geese etc being ingested. Or perhaps such a mesh would just pre dice said birds into smaller pieces. What do you experts know?

Jet engines are designed for maximum efficiency, if the engine intake is partially blocked it reduces air throughput and power. So engine design is a compromise between front aperture, aerodynamic drag, fuel efficiency and power.

They are also designed to withstand a bird strike but only up to a point.    

[Jon the frog]

On 10/20/2019 at 2:45 PM, L.A.T.1961 said:

Jet engines are designed for maximum efficiency, if the engine intake is partially blocked it reduces air throughput and power. So engine design is a compromise between front aperture, aerodynamic drag, fuel efficiency and power.

They are also designed to withstand a bird strike but only up to a point.    

Imagine a bird strike in the future Sabre engine...

https://www.reactionengines.co.uk/sabre

Other military plane didn't have the chance to come home...one B1b got a wing crushed by a pelican...

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-21-mn-37481-story.html

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Jon the frog

[kel_kel]

Just attach a long spike sticking straight out of it- instant shish kabob.