Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ) announced that it would conduct bird strike tests within the facility. Thus, both Advanced Jet Trainer Hürkuş and indigenous Fighter (TF-X) test results will remain confidential, and the facility will be available to other users.
When an aeroplane collides with a bird or debris during flight, the high velocities of contact can damage or disable engines, break the cockpit windshield, and threaten the structural integrity of an aircraft. While most bird strikes will not affect an aircraft to continue flying, the in-flight impact can pose a serious threat and have the potential to cause significant damage or disable the plane’s ability to fly.
Bird strikes pose a substantial risk to flight safety, especially during take-off and landing, when crew strain is at its peak, and there is little time for recovery before a potential collision with the ground.
Bird strike simulators are mostly known as the chicken gun because early simulators are used to launch real birds at speeds up to 350 knots (400 mph). Modern strike simulators launch gelatin substitutes.
TUSAŞ will benefit from test results to improve the airframe.
