Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist.....
 

True story from the NY Times (April 29, 1999)

Scientists at NASA built a gun specifically to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space shuttle, all travelling at maximum velocity. The idea was 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 hurtled out of the barrel, crashed into the shatterproof shield, smashed it to smithereens, blasted through the control console, snapped the engineer's backrest in two and embedded itself in the back wall of the cabin, like an arrow shot from a bow.

The horrified Britons sent NASA the disastrous results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield and begged the U.S. scientists for suggestions.

NASA responded with a one-line memo: "Thaw the chicken."

Hehehe... I've heard this one. Still awesome though :)

Huston, we have a chicken :p

I WANT ONE!

you want to know how to make one?? :D

I had a smaller version made from PVC pipe, gas fittings and parts of a barbecue. It could put frozen oranges through a 1/4 inch sheet of plywood from 20 feet away.....

lmao :D, that's cool. But for space shuttles a frozen chicken might be better seaming as though a tiny fleck of paint can cause damage to an object if it's travelling at 30,000 mph.

Whoa! I want one, too! I've never heard of such an invention yet! I'm sure it would be devastating to see chicken guts all over your new suit!:p

yeah, but I think that the tests would be for the initial launch. I don't think you'd find too many birds above 5000 feet, and certainly not orbiting the earth when the space shuttle would eventually reach that speed.

yes.

have pvc pipe, can get gas fittings and barbecue.

Post the instruction Ethan.

lol, that's pretty funny. Certainly up to par with Canada's Chicken Cannon (if you don't get that, watch more CBC comedy ;))

Reminds one of the old U.S.S. <insert name> / lighthouse gag...

What sort of british train travels at that sort of speed?

The Hornby Train sets...

Now that's what I call a practical invention. So many uses... :)

Give me a custom title and Ill have one sent over.;)

Actually, this thread reminds me of this:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2002390960,00.gif

(Click the picture)

So dead humans aren't the only ones getting some sick action...

LOL

Ethan's talking about a spud gun. Google search

The Canadian Chicken Cannon

Everytime I come to these forums, I find that Ethan has posted a bunch of sick, weird or disgusting news. Keep it up mate :up:

weird maybe, but sick and disgusting???? Where?

Ethan covers the wierd and strange news, i cover the sick, disgusting and political news. :p

And I cover you all with love :)

and i cover whatever bilbo didnt;)

and i cover you with love juice

I hope love juice isnt what I think it is.

Reminds me of this: