Nick Lappos Said:
Note the thin plexiglas and the big hole. The very marginal windshield protection is shown by the size of the hole and the way the material just shattered itself. Most Part 29 helos have strong multilayered windshields that truly protect against penetration.
Most, but unfortunately, not all. A few weeks ago an S-76 from my base encountered a seagull while cruising at approx. 140 knots. Despite the shallow angle of the windscreen, the seagull penetrated the plexiglas to the extent that it knocked the right engine T-handle back and took the engine off-line. I suspect the optional laminated glass windscreen would have provided much better protection.
-Stan-