On the one occasion that I've been lucky enough to be upgraded, I realised just how unfortunate the minority of air travelers who sit in the front of the plane are.
While the majority of us get to enjoy a view of other travelers, the occasional steward/ess trying to make their way along the gangway, and those desperate to get to the loo hoping around attempting to get past the trolleys, for those up at the front of the plane there is no option, it's the horendous film, or the wall infront.
My solution is simple: a clear plastic dome for the front of the 747, not only will it provide outstanding views at altitude but the view as you come into land would be unparalleled, revel in the breathtaking field of view, a true panorama extending before your feet.-- scubadooper, May 13 2003 Isn't that this? http://www.halfbake...7s-eye_20viewscreen [DrCurry, Oct 05 2004] You'd get a great view of the radar dish http://www.airliner...open.file/341325/M/ [AO, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] Really good view... http://www.cafark.o...001/0heinkel111.jpgBomb it up [saker, Oct 05 2004] Didn't someone suggest this, with a view screen?-- DrCurry, May 13 2003 I've only just come across that, same idea, but a window has a greater scope.-- scubadooper, May 13 2003 A window of that size on an airborne pressure vessel would be stupendously expensive to engineer and likely prone to catastrophic failure. But, hey, it's certainly halfbaked.-- bristolz, May 13 2003 Hey, just whack in a big vacuum formed polyurethane dome, it'll easily stand the pressure differences, will probably be stronger than the thin Aluminium used currently and only a little heavier.-- scubadooper, May 13 2003 It's the point at which the dome joins the rest of the airframe and the lack of structural support upon the expanse of the dome that would worry me. That "thin aluminum" skin is densely riveted to a longeron and rib super-structure and, taken together, is incredibly strong and shear resistant. With the dome it will take only take a small series of distortions traveling as waves to cause failure.-- bristolz, May 13 2003 I'm sure a little bit of engineering should get around any problems, I don't want to go around baking ideas too quickly.-- scubadooper, May 13 2003 But radomes are honeycomb composities, no? Hard to get that stuff transparent.-- bristolz, May 13 2003 //a little bit of engineering should get around any problems//
Ah, ignorance.-- ato_de, May 13 2003 Am I the only one who pictured a little kid staring out big picture windows during church?-- k_sra, May 13 2003 [dag] we've got no time to waste better get on to Airbus and order a nice big picture window for the front of the A3XX, just imagine being able to stand in it!
Some kind of porous sandwich filling bonded between 2 vacuum formed clear plastic sheets and filled with a clear liquid of the same coefficient of diffraction might just start to get us there.-- scubadooper, May 14 2003 But isn't the nose of the plane filled with foam rubber to provide cushioning in the event of a crash?-- beauxeault, May 14 2003 random, halfbakery