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What do you do with a cannon that fires dead birds? | The Verge

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I’m in the violently green hills outside Peebles, Ohio, just north of the Kentucky border, on what appears to be a giant nature preserve. Or it would be, were it not for the sheer number of powerful jet engines, some of which are waiting their turns to have bird carcasses — 2.5 pounds, 4 pounds, 6 pounds, and 8 pounds, all pre-euthanized — hurled into their fan blades. The birds are from local suppliers that are certified by the Department of Natural Resources; GE then x-rays them to make sure they haven’t been shot. An approved bird is then loaded into a cannon device and shot into the engine. I asked about video for posting to this site, but was warned that other people find it disturbing. The video is disturbing. It is also very cool. The first Leap to be tested in a rig, September 2013 (CFM) Peebles is home to GE Aviation’s Peebles Test Center. Sitting outside "Disneyland for geeks" is a crumpled white car with a sign next to it: "Don’t text and drive." It’s a real car that really

Report Report Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow See All Report Transportation Transportation Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow See All Transportation What do you do with a cannon that fires dead birds? In a rural corner of the Midwest, GE pushes its next-generation jet engines to their limits by Elizabeth Lopatto Elizabeth Lopatto Senior Reporter Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow See All by Elizabeth Lopatto Jul 9,

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