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47-441: Chicken Cannon may refer to: The NASA Chicken Gun , a device used in aircraft testing The Chicken Cannon featured on the satirical Canadian television show Royal Canadian Air Farce Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Chicken Cannon . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

94-410: A bird at it, and the results are examined for compliance with the relevant standards. Most tests are performed with the gun pressurized to around 35 psi (2.4 bar) – this results in a four-pound (1.8 kg) bird being launched at around 350 miles per hour (560 km/h), approximately the resultant velocity in a collision between a bird and an aircraft. The FAA do not specify

141-657: A chicken gun in 1961, and in 1967 the Canadian National Research Council 's Division of Mechanical Engineering used the RAE's design as a basis for their "Flight Impact Simulator Facility", a pneumatic gun based next to Ottawa airport . This gun remained in frequent use until 2016, at which point it was donated to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and replaced by a pair of more modern guns. The replacements can accommodate different sized birds more easily through

188-411: A compressor storing air into an accumulator until the desired pressure was reached. To fire the gun, an operator triggered the opening of an electric quick-release valve, dumping the compressed air into the barrel. Different muzzle velocities were achieved by varying the pressure stored in the accumulator. The tests conducted with this gun were the first of their kind, and showed that the glass used in

235-742: A craft should not prevent "continued safe flight [and a] normal landing". The first recorded chicken gun was built in 1942 by the US Civil Aeronautics Administration in collaboration with the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company . Built at Westinghouse's High Power Laboratory in Pittsburgh , it was capable of firing bird carcasses at up to 400 miles per hour (640 km/h), although most tests were conducted with muzzle velocities around 270 miles per hour (430 km/h). The gun used compressed air as its propellant, with

282-427: A large transfer of kinetic energy. A bird colliding with an aircraft windshield could penetrate or shatter it, injuring the flight crew or impairing their ability to see. At high altitudes such an event could cause uncontrolled decompression . A bird ingested by a jet engine can break the engine's compressor blades, potentially causing catastrophic damage. Multiple measures are used to prevent bird strikes, such as

329-850: A new independent body, the Federal Aviation Agency . The act transferred safety rulemaking from CAB to the new FAA (the CAB continued), and also made the FAA responsible for a common civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control . The FAA's first administrator, Elwood R. Quesada , was a former U.S. Air Force Lt. General who commanded the early tactical air forces of the Ninth Air Force in Europe in World War II, and served as an advisor to President Dwight D. Eisenhower . The same year witnessed

376-531: A plan for a single world airline. After World War II began in Europe, the CAA launched the Civilian Pilot Training Program to provide new pilots. On the eve of America's entry into the conflict, the agency began to take over operation of airport control towers , a role that eventually became permanent. During the war, the CAA also greatly enlarged its en route air traffic control system. In 1944,

423-522: A recurring skit in which a "chicken cannon" is used to fire various objects, originally including a rubber chicken, at a picture of a well-known person, often a politician. Civil Aeronautics Administration (United States) In 1934, the Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce , to reflect the growing importance of commercial flying. It was subsequently divided into two authorities:

470-412: Is a large-diameter, compressed-air gun used to fire bird carcasses at aircraft components in order to simulate high-speed bird strikes during the aircraft's flight. Jet engines and aircraft windshields are particularly vulnerable to damage from such strikes, and are the most common target in such tests. Although various species of bird are used in aircraft testing and certification, the device acquired

517-533: The 1975 film The Great Waldo Pepper . At the urging of the aviation industry, that believed the airplane could not reach its full commercial potential without federal action to improve and maintain safety standards, President Calvin Coolidge appointed a board to investigate the issue. The board's report favored federal safety regulation. To that end, the Air Commerce Act became law on May 20, 1926. The act

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564-747: The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), concerned with air traffic control , and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), concerned with safety regulations and accident investigation. Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 , the CAA's powers were transferred to a new independent body, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the same year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

611-472: The European Aviation Safety Agency require that aircraft engines and airframes be resilient against bird strikes to a certain degree as part of the airworthiness certification process . In general, an engine should not suffer an uncontained failure (an event where rotating parts are ejected from the engine casing) after impact with a suitably-sized bird, and a bird strike to the airframe of

658-464: The Palmyra Atoll , where beginning in 1948, nearly 100 men, women, and children were sent to live and work. They occupied the facilities of what had been a Navy refueling base during World War II , manning its radio station and maintaining the 6,000-foot runway. Strangely, this community was dispersed in 1949, and while the exact reasons why are unclear, it was likely because the benefits of operating

705-529: The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, the chicken gun at AEDC Ballistic Range S-3 was repurposed to test the resistance of various components of the Shuttle orbiter and launch fuel tanks to impacts from insulating foam. The intent was to discover the exact cause of the disaster, and establish whether any modifications to the Shuttle were required. The comedy series Royal Canadian Air Farce has

752-512: The Branch was William P. MacCracken, Jr. High visibility accidents such as the 1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash and the 1935 crash of TWA Flight 6 continued to make headlines. In fulfilling its civil aviation responsibilities, the Department of Commerce initially concentrated on functions such as safety rulemaking and the certification of pilots and aircraft. It took over

799-669: The Bureau itself took over the centers and began to expand the ATC system. Pioneer air traffic controllers resorted to using maps, blackboards, and calculations to perform their new roles, making sure aircraft traveling along designated routes did not collide. The Department of Commerce created an Aeronautics Branch in 1926. The first head of this organization was William P. MacCracken, Jr. (first recipient of its pilot certification license), whose approach to regulation included consultation and cooperation with industry. A major challenge facing MacCracken

846-482: The Bureau of Air Commerce. Eugene Vidal , nephew of Senator Thomas Gore became its first director. Vidal resigned on February 28, 1937, and was replaced by Fred D. Fagg, Jr. Fagg reorganized the bureau, but retired in April 1938, being replaced by Hindenburg crash investigator Denis Mulligan. The year 1934 also saw a crisis over airmail contracts that former Postmaster General W.F. Brown had used to strengthen

893-572: The CAB functioned independently. When a Douglas DC-3A crashed shortly after departing Washington, DC, on August 31, 1940, the CAB had their first major investigation, that of the Lovettsville air disaster , setting the pattern for subsequent accident investigations. In 1942, President Roosevelt appointed L. Welch Pogue as Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. Pogue served as Chairman until 1946. During his tenure he helped strike down

940-551: The Civil Aeronautics Authority into two agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Administration and a five-member Civil Aeronautics Board . The CAA was responsible for air traffic control, safety programs, and airway development. The CAB was entrusted with safety rulemaking, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines. Although both organizations were housed in the Department of Commerce,

987-646: The United States hosted a conference in Chicago that led to the establishment of the International Civil Aviation Organization and set the framework for future aviation diplomacy. In 1946, Congress gave the CAA the task of administering a federal-aid airport program aimed exclusively at promoting development of the United States' civil airports. This included the establishment of semi-permanent colonies in remote, U.S.-owned territories, such as

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1034-497: The airline route structure. In the Air Mail scandal , Senate investigators charged that Brown's methods had been illegal, and President Roosevelt canceled the contracts. In 1935 the BAC encouraged a group of airlines to establish the first three centers (Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois) for providing air traffic control along the airways, the following year taking over

1081-530: The barrel. The United States Air Force built the AEDC Ballistic Range S-3 at Arnold Engineering Development Complex in 1972 to test the canopies and windshields of military aircraft. Like previous chicken guns, S-3 used compressed air to launch its projectiles. The gun was later used in the development and certification of multiple US military aircraft, including the F-4 , F-111 and A-10 . As of 2007

1128-601: The building and operation of the nation's system of lighted airways, a task begun by the Post Office Department. The Department of Commerce improved aeronautical radio communications, and introduced radio beacons as an effective aid to air navigation. In 1934, the Aeronautics Branch was renamed the Bureau of Air Commerce . As commercial aviation grew, the Bureau encouraged airlines to establish three centers (Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois) to provide air traffic control in airways. In 1936,

1175-508: The centers itself and expanding the traffic control system. In 1938, the Civil Aeronautics Act transferred federal responsibilities for non-military aviation from the Bureau of Air Commerce to a new, independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The legislation also gave the authority the power to regulate airline fares and to determine the routes that air carriers would serve. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt split

1222-512: The common name of "chicken gun" as chickens are the most commonly used 'ammunition' owing to their ready availability. Bird strikes are a significant hazard to flight safety , particularly around takeoff and landing where crew workload is highest and there is scant time for recovery before a potential impact with the ground. The speeds involved in a collision between a jet aircraft and a bird can be considerable – often around 350 km/h (220 mph) – resulting in

1269-509: The development of airway lighting. In 1925, the Airmail Act of 1925 authorized the Post Office to contract with private airlines to transport mail. The Airmail Act created American commercial aviation and several of today's airlines were formed to carry airmail in the late 1920s (including Trans World Airlines , Northwest Airlines , and United Airlines ). Aviation in the United States

1316-600: The development of the Boeing 757 in the 1970s, the cockpit roof was subjected to a bird strike test wherein a 4-pound (1.8 kg) chicken was fired at 360 knots (410 mph; 670 km/h) into a stationary cockpit. To the surprise of the Boeing engineers, the chicken penetrated the skin of the aircraft. As a result the cockpit of the 757, and that of the 767 which shared the same design, had to be reinforced. Several 767s were already in service, and had to be recalled for retrofitting of

1363-404: The facilities did not outweigh the cost of providing for the colony members. Several mid-air collisions occurred during the latter half of the 20th century, such as the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision , the first time more than 100 people were killed. Jet travel was nascent at this time, prompting the passage of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 . The legislation gave the CAA's functions to

1410-400: The first wind tunnels years earlier, the organization's work with the latter produced a new type of engine cowling with much less drag than former designs. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , the Aeronautics Branch cooperated with public works agencies on projects that represented an early form of federal aid to airports . The Branch was restructured and in 1934 received a new name,

1457-406: The gun was still in operation. Chicken guns are routinely used in the process of proving compliance with certification regulations. Given their complexity and the expertise required to operate them, an aircraft manufacturer will typically contract with a facility that operates a gun to perform a test against a given standard. The component to be tested is mounted securely on a frame, the gun fires

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1504-429: The industry, cost, and sensitivity to the views of animal rights activists . However, concerns have been expressed by some engineers that tests with artificial birds do not accurately represent the forces involved in real bird strikes as the analogs lack bones. Some go further and state that the farm-raised birds commonly used in tests are also unrepresentative owing to the lower density of their muscle tissue. During

1551-415: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicken_Cannon&oldid=932760690 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages NASA Chicken Gun A chicken gun or flight impact simulator

1598-405: The reinforcements. Later in the 757's development process a bird strike test was conducted on the aircraft's windows, again by firing a chicken at them. The UK Civil Aviation Authority's certification requirements at the time were more stringent than the FAA's, and required the metal around the windows to also resist a bird strike. The 757 failed this test, requiring further re-engineering. After

1645-518: The small aviation manufacturing industry. Before the end of the conflict, Congress voted funds for an innovative postal program that would serve as a model for commercial air operations. With initial help from the U.S. Army , the Post Office in 1918 initiated an intercity airmail route. The subsequent achievements of the Air Mail Service included the establishment of a transcontinental route and

1692-433: The species of bird that should be used for testing, but do state that the birds should not be frozen, as this would not accurately reflect the reality of a strike. Chickens are used as they are cheap, and readily available. There have been efforts to develop artificial bird analogs for use in impact tests, to replace the use of carcasses. The motivations for this range from ensuring that results are easily reproducible across

1739-566: The transformation of NACA into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the wake of the Soviet Union 's launch of the first artificial satellite , Sputnik . NASA assumed NACA's role of aeronautical research. The accident investigation powers of the Civil Aeronautics Board were transferred to the new National Transportation Safety Board in 1967, at the same time that the United States Department of Transportation

1786-417: The use of a modular barrel. In the 1970s, Goodyear Aerospace developed a chicken gun that stored compressed air behind a ceramic diaphragm and used a cardboard sabot to center and stabilize the chicken. When fired, a needle struck the diaphragm, rupturing the seal and allowing the air to propel the projectile down the barrel. A metal ring on the muzzle stopped the sabot, but allowed the chicken to escape

1833-502: The use of deterrent systems at airports to prevent birds from gathering, population control using birds of prey or firearms, and recently avian radar systems that track flocks of birds and give warnings to pilots and air traffic controllers . Despite this, the risk of bird strikes is impossible to eliminate and therefore most government certification authorities such as the US Federal Aviation Administration and

1880-564: The windshields of common passenger aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3 was extremely vulnerable to bird strikes; panels were penetrated completely by a 4-pound (1.8 kg) bird traveling at only 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). Subsequent testing showed that laminate panels made of glass interleaved with polyvinyl chloride were far more resistant. The gun was used at the High Power Laboratory until November 1943. In early 1945, it

1927-680: Was created after the Soviet Union ’s launch of the first artificial satellite . The accident investigation powers of the CAB were transferred to the new National Transportation Safety Board in 1967, at the same time that the United States Department of Transportation was created. In response to the September 11 attacks , the federal government launched the Transportation Security Administration with broad powers to protect air travel and other transportation modes against criminal activity. European enthusiasm for air power

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1974-533: Was created. The CAB's remaining authority was economic regulation of commercial air transportation. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 phased out these controls, resulting in the elimination of the CAB at the end of 1984, with most residual powers transferred to the DOT. The September 11, 2001 attacks challenged the air transportation system by presenting a new type of terrorist attack: hijacked airliners used for terrorist attacks. The government's response included

2021-675: Was moved to a CAA research & development location in Indianapolis , called the Indianapolis Experimental Station, where it was used to test components for various commercial aircraft manufacturers, before being retired at some point in 1947. A similar gun was independently developed by the De Havilland Aircraft Company in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s. The UK's Royal Aircraft Establishment built

2068-673: Was not regulated during the early 20th century. A succession of accidents during the pre-war exhibition era (1910–16) and barnstorming decade of the 1920s gave way to early forms of federal regulation intended to instill public confidence in the safety of air transportation. As claimed by the Aircraft Year Book , barnstormers caused 66% of fatal accidents during 1924. Opponents of this view included those who distrusted government interference or wished to leave any such regulation to state authorities. Barnstorming accidents that led to such regulations during this period are accurately depicted in

2115-588: Was sparked by an arms race and then by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. During the following year, the United States Congress took a step toward revitalizing American aviation by establishing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), an organization dedicated to the science of flight. Upon entering World War I in 1917, the United States government mobilized the nation's economy, with results that included an expansion of

2162-652: Was sponsored by Rep. Laurence H. Watres , and subsequently referred to as the Watres Act . The Act created an Aeronautic Branch assigned to the United States Department of Commerce , and vested that entity with regulatory powers to ensure a degree of civil air safety. Among these powers were: testing and licensing pilots, issuing certificates to guarantee the airworthiness of aircraft, making and enforcing safety rules, certificating aircraft, establishing airways, operating and maintaining aids to air navigation, and investigating accidents and incidents in aviation. The first head of

2209-523: Was to enlarge and improve the nation's air navigation system. The Aeronautics Branch took over the Post Office's task of building airway light beacons, and in 1928 introduced a new navigation beacon system known as the low frequency radio range , or the "Four Course Radio Range". The branch also built additional airway communications stations to encourage broader use of aeronautical radio and combat adverse weather . NACA began its own aeronautics research undertaking in 1920. In 1928, having created one of

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