Originally Posted by
The Dominican
... flying along in a tank like built DC6, DC3 or Connie and a bird strike was a non issue...,
The DC3 may be pretty solidly built, but it's not birdstrike-proof.
BAC (British Aircraft Corp.) used a DC3 as a shuttle between Filton and Fairford. Very short run, so they didn't really get much higher than 2500 ft.
One day .... co-pilot bends down (to pick a pencil from the floor or suchlike).
The next moment there was an almighty bang just above his head.... a seagull had come straight through the windscreen and gone splat! against the bulkhead behind him.
He was showered with glass, blood and feathers, and the smell was atrocious, but he was not significantly injured.
CJ