Few hazards are more worrisome to an ag pilot than a bird strike or, more recently, a high-speed drone strike. Post-impact images and outcomes reveal the extensive damage such collisions can cause – especially to the cockpit, and to the pilot, when the aircraft windshield is compromised or penetrated.
To answer this threat, Thrush Aircraft has made Storm Shield windshields standard equipment on all Thrush aircraft.
Storm Shield windshields are also available as a retrofit kit for all current Thrush models.
Installation requires roughly six hours with some sealant drying time, according to company officials. Kits can be ordered by contacting Kevin Pierce, director of services at Thrush at 229-317-8222 or [email protected].
In testing at the National Institute of Aviation Research, Storm Shield windshields sustained impact energy loads eight times greater than OEM windshields from a competing aircraft manufacturer before showing any visual damage, according to company officials.
And at failure, the Storm Shield windshields produced small granular crumbles of material rather than the damaging slivers of glass common in other windshields under similar conditions — while also maintaining their structural integrity better than competing OEM windshields, Thrush officials add.
“This was perhaps one of the easiest decisions I’ve made here at the company” said Mark McDonald, chief executive officer of Thrush Aircraft. “Providing better protection for customers and their aircraft is something we take very seriously. And adding these new windshields is yet another part of our on-going commitment to building airplanes designed to bring pilots home safely each night.”