Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch
standard 4 pound dead chickens at the windshields of
airliners, military jets and the space shuttle, all
traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate
the frequent incidents of collisions with airborne fowl
to test the strength of the windshields.
British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to
test it on the windshields of their new high speed
trains. Arrangements were made, and a gun was sent to the
British engineers.
When the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as
the chicken hurled out of the barrel, crashed into the
shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted
through the control console, snapped the engineer’s back-
rest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the
cabin, like an arrow shot from a bow.
The horrified Brits sent NASA the disastrous results of
the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield
and begged the US scientists for suggestions.
How did Nasa Respond?
NASA responded with a one-line memo: “Defrost the
chicken.”