Questions about bird strikes

[oldpropfan]

I've been doing some testing with the bird strikes at 99% so I get one with each flight and have some questions about my results.

What failures can we expect a bird strike to cause? Flying a single engine plane about 8 out of 10 strikes cause an engine failure, the other times I can hear a hit but get no control or other failures. Seems like the engine failure percent might be a bit high.

Flying a DC-3 the FO nicely says we've had a strike but I've had no failures in over 2 dozen strikes.

One last observation, all my strikes have come during departure from the airfield, probably within 5 miles or so. This is probably realistic as there are less birds to hit once you are up to cruise altitude but it would add to the immersion if one would occasionally happen during approach or in the pattern during landing.

Now off to check-out the flat tire and cargo shift failures.

I have to add that so far I think this program is a great addon , gives me more enjoyment and some purpose to my sim time.

Al

[Dutch Owen]

In theory there's supposed to be a 50/50 chance that a bird strike will cause a single engine failure on any type airplane regardless of the number of engines on it. The difference between the multiple bird strike (several bangs and an even more nervous FO) and the single is just that: cosmetic.

Currently an engine failure or fire is the only failure triggered by a bird strike. I really can't think of much else that does happen in real life except sometimes the bird crashes the cockpit window or damages the radar dome -- neither of which can realistically be simulated in FS. But ideas are welcome! I guess they could, very rarely, take out the pitots....

Your numbers sound suspicious and I'm going to take a look at the code. 2 dozen strikes without a failure on the DC-3 is either wildly against the odds, or there's something preventing the failures from happening.

Thanks for kind words. It's very nice, and encouraging, to hear that people are enjoying the program!

Dutch

[pilotgod]

I know this one is extremely rare, but since it happened to me in a Piper Arrow a couple of years ago I figured I'd toss it out. I clipped a Mexican Dove on the left wing and it took out the end plastic cap of the wing (where the nav and strobe lights are). This caused unlaminar flow off the end of the wing and required significant right aileron and rudder to keep it straight. Is it possible to add something that on multiple bird strikes once in a blue moon causes the trim or CG to go out which would have the affect of a harder to control aircraft?