FORT ATKINSON, Wis., - When inspecting, installing or repairing windows on an aircraft, there are many aspects to consider. One of these is the type of window and how that defines a technician’s approach. Newer window types include tinted, UV-protected and dimmable windows. For this article, we reached out to industry experts to assess the characteristics defining the upkeep of newer window types in comparison with the more traditional windows with the pull-down shade, Mario Pierobon reports for AviationPros. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
16 March 2022 - Aircraft windows are manufactured from glass and plastic, and sometimes combinations thereof, affirms Brent Wright, global director of transparencies for the aerospace business at PPG. “For example, flight deck windows for aircraft ranging from piston twins and larger are typically comprised of two or three plies of transparent substrate material (glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, or PPG Opticor) laminated together with a clear interlayer, typically PVB or urethane,” he says. “These substantial cockpit windows are typically electrically heated. Windows with outer plies of plastic, as opposed to glass, might have some type of organic clear coating for abrasion and environmental protection.”
Passenger cabin windows and helicopter windows are typically less complex, according to Wright. “In fact, cabin windows are usually produced from acrylic or PPG Opticor material. They may or may not have clear scratch coatings or other types of films, depending on the aircraft,” he says. “Dimmable windows, instead, may or may not be an integrated part of the structural cabin window. In the case of the 787, the dimmable window resides inboard of the actual cabin window and is integrated into the aircraft’s interior wall panel.”
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
