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This is a normal post This isn't a bird strike test
It is a "blade out" test where they have to demonstrate that a broken fan blade will not cause the fuselage/passengers to be damaged/injured by shrapnel.

The engine housing/cowling has to able to contain the explosion/debris. The fan blade which they break/shatter (with explosives, via remote control obviously) is the orange & purple one.

Aero engines can ingest some birds without suffering from structural failure (although the engine might stall/lose power), but not entire flocks of them (especially big birds like geese).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcALjMJbAvU
 (I helped save b3ta! custard, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 1:04, Reply)
This is a normal post How in God's name do you know that??

(I helped save b3ta! boyo81 was laying down his ordinance on, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 2:26, Reply)
This is a normal post It's
Almost like he has access to some sort of giant searchable source of technical knowledge from his home PC, but enough of that unbelievable science-fiction crap.
 (Benzyl, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 3:04, Reply)
This is a normal post How bizarre.
Can I get one of these?
 (I helped save b3ta! Occulus Swallowed, instead of spat, on, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 6:04, Reply)
This is a normal post May I suggest Google
http://www.google.com
 (I helped save b3ta! redazril I LIKE DRUGS!, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 6:50, Reply)
This is a normal post Why thank you.
That worked really well :)
 (I helped save b3ta! Occulus Swallowed, instead of spat, on, Fri 13 Feb 2009, 0:26, Reply)
This is a normal post I found that very interesting
I take it your an engineer of sorts then?
 (I helped save b3ta! lord turkey boy and the cleft of venus, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 3:17, Reply)
This is a normal post I wish
I just remember seeing one of these destructive tests on a documentary about the A380; it's not the sort of thing you easily forget (explosions and fireworks etc.)

Found it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j973645y5AA

(they use kevlar or some other kind of uber cloth to contain the shrapnel)
 (I helped save b3ta! custard, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 10:25, Reply)
This is a normal post So, for clarification then,
was that test succesful?

Seems like an awful lot of smoke / fire / vibration going on in there. Although it's not total catastrophic failure...
 (I helped save b3ta! IHaveABadFeelingAboutThis most likely working from home on, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 10:20, Reply)
This is a normal post I don't know
There was a lot of smoke and fire though; I've seen other tests where that doesn't happen (although the engine is not completely enclosed here. They are just testing the part of the cowling that needs to contain a failure of the front fan; shrapnel coming out of the back of the engine isn't a problem).

The vibration issue is solved by connecting the engine to the wing using pins that are designed to break if the engine vibrates too much (i.e. enough to damage the wing).

They can design for some vibration, but only so much because every blade off event will be unique/not entirely predictable.
 (I helped save b3ta! custard, Wed 11 Feb 2009, 10:34, Reply)