73
votes
Accepted
Has any passenger airliner ever offered forward-facing windows?
We could start with the Tupolev ANT-20 with its rather daring forward-facing passenger gallery. [edit - the prime seat right at the front in the gallery was for the navigator and his equipment.]
...
- 11.8k
69
votes
Accepted
Why do helicopters have windows near the pedals?
These fall into a category known as vertical reference windows. They can be used for many purposes, but essentially, they allow us to gain a better spatial picture of the orientation of our aircraft, ...
- 4,837
56
votes
Can cameras and LCD screens replace cabin windows?
Note that the windows are a safety feature: You need to see outside in case of emergency, e.g. to know which side of the plane is surrounded by flames, or how deep in the water you are. This is ...
- 1,154
48
votes
Accepted
Why are commercial aircraft windows typically oval instead of circular?
It's done mainly for the passengers' viewing benefit in making structural trade offs over total opening area. For a given area, a round window has less "meat" of fuselage structure between ...
- 126k
40
votes
Accepted
How do aircraft windshields not crack when flying at supersonic speeds through precipitation?
The Concorde had 2 discrete windshields for different stages of flight. During subsonic flight (mainly take off and landing) the nose was drooped and the inner windshield was exposed. For supersonic ...
- 100k
38
votes
What's the point of writing on a cockpit window?
If you use a grease pencil, it rubs off easily from glass
So you can save paper, not have to look down or hunt for the info, it won't fall on the floor, and if it's written in the center of the ...
- 16.7k
37
votes
Can cameras and LCD screens replace cabin windows?
Problem #1: What gets displayed on the screen?
While I'm aware of Emirates' recent 'virtual windows,' there is a big problem with this idea in general: what should actually be displayed there depends ...
- 19.4k
37
votes
Has any passenger airliner ever offered forward-facing windows?
Boeing 747
I'm a little surprised to not already see the Queen of the Skies here. If 'partially forward' counts, the first several windows on each side of the lower deck of the 747 are angled ...
- 19.4k
35
votes
Accepted
Why are some windows in cockpits made openable?
The opening cockpit windows do serve some purpose, like providing an additional means of evacuation during an emergency.* There have been instances where the crew had used the cockpit windows to ...
- 100k
34
votes
Accepted
Can cameras and LCD screens replace cabin windows?
Emirates Airlines have recently launched their new First Class with a similar concept.
It is only available in First Class and I doubt it has much to do with the structural implications as of now, ...
- 547
34
votes
Has any passenger airliner ever offered forward-facing windows?
That would definitely be an appealing feature for passengers but the airframe of the A380 at its forehead is too curved to be able to fit a viewing area for passengers. Furthermore, the design and ...
- 1,162
33
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of eyebrow windows?
Wikipedia answers this on the Boeing 737 page:
Most 737 cockpits are equipped with "eyebrow windows" positioned above
the main glareshield. Eyebrow windows were a feature of the original
707 ...
- 2,218
32
votes
Accepted
Why do flight attendants on the 787 lock the dimmable windows at different phases of the flight?
On long-haul flights, most passengers will want to sleep, often including when the aircraft is flying through daylight. It's especially common on East-West long-haul flights for lots of people to want ...
- 19.4k
30
votes
Accepted
What is this yellow section around the cockpit window?
You're right. The aft no. 3 fixed window has a reusable retainer with 2 rows of fasteners- one for holding the window glass and another for attaching to the fuselage, as can be seen in this PPG ...
- 100k
29
votes
How do aircraft windshields not crack when flying at supersonic speeds through precipitation?
The first trick to make windshields stronger is used also in aerodynamics: Sweep reduces the effects of speed. Giving the windshield an inclination both back- and sideways will reduce the impact ...
- 230k
28
votes
Accepted
Why does the Boeing 787 have fewer cockpit windows?
It is because of the carbon fibre. This is the same reason that the 787 has bigger passenger windows. Here you can find a link explaining the polarized windows on the 787. Because of its higher ...
- 873
28
votes
Accepted
Why is a 737 Original speed-restricted below 10 kft with inoperative windscreen heating?
To reduce damage in case of a bird strike.
The restriction is not only for the 737-100 and -200 models, the 737 NG QRH says:
WINDOW HEAT OFF
In flight:
WINDOWS HEAT switch (affected window) ..... OFF
...
- 54.3k
27
votes
Electrically heated windshields are mostly transparent, but their colors vary from light blue, yellow or light pink. Please explain
The heating element in cockpit windows is typically a thin film comprised of a transparent conducting oxide - indium tin oxide is common. In thin layers, it is transparent to the visible light ...
- 4,837
27
votes
Accepted
Why were square windows a problem for the Comet, but not for the Super Constellation?
Image source
The difference was in the cruise altitude of the two aeroplanes. The Super Connie was powered by piston engines and had a service ceiling of 25,700 ft, usually cruising at about 20,000ft ...
- 61.3k
26
votes
Accepted
Are sun's UV rays more harmful on an airplane at high altitude?
Hmmm, opening the window at 30.000ft, where the air temperature is about -40°C/-40°F, air speed is extreme, you can't survive without oxygen, and you want to put your arm outside???
Well, if you ...
- 7,227
26
votes
Why are commercial aircraft windows typically oval instead of circular?
Speaking in ship terms (from which airplane structure has evolved), modern passenger airliners use longitudinal framing, which relies on a lot of small tightly spaced longitudinal members (stringers) ...
25
votes
What is the purpose of eyebrow windows?
To add to Steve's correct answer, Boeing has historically designed aircraft with less than ideal visibility for the pilot. Case in point: Their first all-metal passenger aircraft, the Boeing 247. Its ...
- 230k
25
votes
Has any passenger airliner ever offered forward-facing windows?
Another two examples from the Farman Aviation Works, purveyors of the world's ugliest aircraft. Unlike the ANT-20 (the gallery primarily for the navigator), the Caproni (never operational) and the ...
- 11.8k
23
votes
Why do helicopters have windows near the pedals?
I assume because being able to see straight down helps in an aircraft capable of vertical movement and landing, especially when flaring. That would suck to only be able to see up when you're moving ...
- 644
21
votes
Accepted
Why are these windows on some airplanes red?
A red/orange color is typically used to denote flight test instrumentation. Indeed, these windows do contain such instrumentation. Below you can see a similar window on a 747-8I flight test aircraft (...
- 3,113
20
votes
Accepted
Why are several of the Tu-104’s cabin windows oddly positioned?
I found a cutaway diagram of the Tu-104B. It appears that, at least on this model, some of the seats in the middle were raised a bit to perhaps accommodate some engine parts (there appears to be a ...
- 9,152
18
votes
Why does the Boeing 787 have fewer cockpit windows?
The rules on visibility from the cockpit have been updated.
There are rules and regulations imposed on the view from the cockpit, for very good reasons - collision avoidance for instance. During ...
- 61.3k
18
votes
Why were square windows a problem for the Comet, but not for the Super Constellation?
There is a huge misconception here. The problem was NOT window shape in itself. It was errors in the calculations that determined the material and fastener requirements for the window frames and ...
- 126k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible