Following a comprehensive, three-year design
and certification programme with Airbus, GKN Aerospace has
qualified a new, 10% lighter, higher performance, main
pilot (No 1) windshield for the Airbus single aisle aircraft
family (A318/A319/A320/A321).
GKN Aerospace achieved
the 10% weight saving by manufacturing the window from
chemically-toughened CE120 glass, replacing the heavier,
thermally-toughened glass of previous generations of the window.
The company has also incorporated modifications to the detailed
design of the windshield that will extend its performance and
simplify its manufacture.
The new windshield will be fully
interchangeable with existing windshields making it available to
operators of all Airbus single aisle aircraft - over 6000 of which
have been manufactured to date.
In addition, by combining this new
windshield with the company’s established No 2 and No 3 cockpit
windows, GKN Aerospace can now offer, from a single source, the
lightest complete cockpit window set on the market for single
aisle aircraft.
Gavin Wesson, Senior Vice President, GKN
Aerospace Special Products Group, said, “Our transparencies
team has developed this 10% lighter, higher performance
pilot main window through a collaborative and highly productive
development and qualification programme with Airbus. We are very
proud to be a part of the A320 Family success story and the new
GKN Aerospace windshield delivers real weight savings and
performance benefits to Airbus customers.”
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