Bubble canopy bird strike mitigation

[Vern]

Polycarbonate layered windscreens were tried on Tweets.

Supposedly it could handle a 2 pound bird at 300 knots, or a 300 pound bird at 2 knots.

Vern

[elev666]

I have a little bit of a phobia to with having two friends in the last 3 to 4 years have had birdstrikes that broke the windscreen, One in Florida one here in Ontario ,, my current ride is a slider which I think gives some protection in that the sliding portion would very likely survive a hawk or seagull impact, all bets are off on something bigger
When I found my current project it was a quick build tipper so I spent the extra 400 bucks to convert it to a slider because of my phobia! I?m surprised that this is not an option for RV 14 builders ,
I have a set of 5400 lumin ridged Industry side spot lights to mount in my wing tips that will have a wig wag System since I find the guys that have them are way more visible than what I currently have!
Now , Are we all happy we can?t fly faster?

[mv031161]

I have had several close encounters and try ro wear a Bonehead Helmet w visor when flying as much as possible. Light weight and barely noticeable...no expensive audio installed...Just my Clarity Aloft under the helmet very confortable.

[Plummit]

Originally Posted by Saville

One could wear goggles.

Or stay on the ground when the birds are flying.... ;-)

~Marc

[rzbill]

Originally Posted by Radioflyer

Yeah, what prompted this topic was that during my last flight I had to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a small group of birds, gulls I think. My face is just about 5" from that thin canopy acrylic plastic. I wish it were polycarbonate, although given he enormous kinetic energy of even a small bird I doubt thin polycarbonate plastic will be strong enough. I gotta do something though, but I think that the canopy manufacturers have more resources than I to look into this and to make their own chicken canons. It's a business opportunity for them.

PS- For example, they could at least offer something like a 1 square foot molded section of 1/4" or so thick plastic to mount on the aft surface of the canopy in front of the pilots face. I think that would definitely help.

At the risk of repeating a story........
Polycarbonate is not an automatic solution. It is more shatter resistant than acrylic but for the same reason, polycarb will deflect more than acrylic.

SO...back in Aero Eng classes, we were shown the F-16 canopy chicken cannon tests on the polycarb canopy development. The canopy never broke, but it did deflect enough to (assumingly) kill the pilot. The solution was to increase the canopy thickness just enough to leave the pilot with a raging headache, but not dead. If memory serves, the final thickness was 5/8".

[vernon smith]

There are several top their and respected companies offering impact glass film for hurricane protection on windows. It's applied to the inside of the glass. I have no idea how well it would conform to a canopy's compound curves but I know it will take a h*ll of a hit.


https://solarx.com/residential/security-film/

[chopperchops]

Silk scarf and goggles, or do what I do and wear a helmet with the blast shield down 🤓

[chopperchops]

Silk scarf and goggles, or do what I do and wear a helmet with the blast shield down 🤓

[judoka5051]

Since there is so much interest in this, I've been planning to make just the windshield portion for the RV8 out of 3/8ths material. I'll need to get the dimensions from a finished RV8 windshield. Now that this has been brought up again, I'm going to bring this project front and center.

[Saville]

Originally Posted by judoka5051

Since there is so much interest in this, I've been planning to make just the windshield portion for the RV8 out of 3/8ths material. I'll need to get the dimensions from a finished RV8 windshield. Now that this has been brought up again, I'm going to bring this project front and center.

A few years ago I saw a picture of an RV-8 with a combination flat front screen and curved front sides - very much like a P-51.

I thought it looked much nicer than our curved windshield and it would allow the ability to have thicker material on the center flat section.