GKN Aerospace has delivered the first windshields as part of a contract with Boeing to design and develop, bird strike test and qualify the new anti-spall windshields for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
These new windshields incorporate GKN Aerospace's proven anti-spall technology which provides improved pilot protection in the event of bird strike and offers a 5% weight reduction. GKN Aerospace will supply all 5 SDD (System Design and Development) windshield ship sets by October 2010.
The number one and number two windshields for the P-8A incorporate GKN Aerospace's certified anti spall technology and introduce an all polyurethane interlayer, replacing the traditional PVB interlayer, to provide extended service life. The new design also incorporates thinner, higher strength, 1020T glass which reduces the window set weight by some four pounds (4lbs), representing a 5% weight saving.
Jim Gibson, Chief Operating Officer, Special Products Group, GKN Aerospace, comments: "Our anti-spall, lighter weight windscreens have now been successfully installed in P-8A System Design and Development (SDD) aircraft for testing. The design and development process for these windshields has exploited our experience across military and commercial, fixed and rotary wing transparencies and transparent armour. We are providing the windshield/canopy systems for the F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon, where the optical clarity of the canopy and effective protection from birdstrike are of paramount importance - and we supply both cockpit and cabin windows for many Boeing airplane programmes."
In addition to the cockpit windows, GKN Aerospace has designed, developed and qualified a large, heated observer window for the P-8A cabin.
GKN plc is a global engineering business serving mainly the automotive, industrial, off-highway and aerospace markets. It has operations in more than 30 countries, nearly 35,000 employees in subsidiaries and joint ventures and sales of GBP4.4 billion in the year to 31 December 2008. GKN plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN). GKN Aerospace is the aerospace operation of GKN plc, serving a global customer base. Operating in North and South America, Australia, the Asia Pacific and Europe, GKN Aerospace offers 24 hour 'follow the sun' engineering. With sales of GBP1bn, the business is focused around three major product areas - aerostructures, propulsion systems and transparencies, plus a number of specialist product areas - electro-thermal ice protection, fuel and flotation systems, and bullet resistant glass. The business is equally split along military and civil lines with significant participation on all major aircraft programmes today. GKN Aerospace is a major supplier of complex composite structures; offers one of the most comprehensive capabilities in high performance metallics processing and is the world leading supplier of cockpit transparencies and passenger cabin windows.
