What is the name of the window on an airplane? The windows on the plane are round to prevent it from falling apart

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012, at a meeting with potential donors, was outraged by the fact that passengers could not open “windows” on the plane.

The plane carrying presidential candidate Romney's wife landed after experiencing smoke in the cabin. There was no fire (everything is made from non-flammable materials), but, of course, the plane was quickly landed. Commenting on the incident, the Republican said:

“If there is a fire on the plane and you have nowhere to go, ... you cannot breathe, because outside air cannot enter the cabin, since the windows do not open. I have no idea why they won't open. This is a real problem. And this is very dangerous. She gasped and rubbed her eyes. And it would be much easier for the wife to cope with stress if she could breathe fresh air during a fire. Fortunately, there was enough oxygen for the pilot and co-pilot to make a safe landing in Denver. But she’s fine now,” he concluded.

So why can't you open windows and doors on an airplane?

US presidential candidate regrets that airplane windows cannot be opened

What happens if you open the door on an airplane? Let's start with the fact that after takeoff, the aircraft doors are under great pressure. The door area is at least half a meter. Those. 5000 sq. cm. Even if the difference is only 0.2 atm, then 1000 kgf must be applied to open the door. More precisely - 500kgs, since the handle is on the edge of the door, and the other side is on hinges

That is, to open such a door, you will need the strength of Superman. Not a single person can do this task. So if you are afraid that some tipsy passenger will decide to open the door during a flight and passengers will start flying overboard, you have nothing to worry about. This is completely out of the question.

In addition, a barometric relay is built into the door lock, which, as soon as the plane begins to gain altitude, automatically locks the lock tightly. The lock is unlocked only when the pressure inside the aircraft is equal to the outside pressure (that is, on the ground).

But still...

Up to about 4 km - nothing particularly terrible will happen, it will blow strongly, things will fly around the cabin. :) It will get colder. -6 Celsius for every kilometer of altitude. That is, at an altitude of 4 km it will become 24 degrees colder than at this time on the surface of the earth. In theory, there may be minor structural damage - but this depends on the specific circumstances of the unfortunate incident, the speed of the aircraft and the direction and speed of the wind.

At 10 km and above it will be worse - a sharp (explosive) decompression (pressure drop), up to the effect of a blast wave. Things from the cabin and unbelted passengers can be carried overboard by the air being sucked out. Things flying around the cabin can seriously injure passengers (for example, a camera or video camera). A blow to the ears (due to changes in pressure) - both sharply and strongly and painfully - may cause bleeding from the ears and/or nose. There is very little oxygen at this altitude. You need to immediately put on an oxygen mask (be sure to first yourself, then help others, including children).

The pilot must have time to descend to a safe altitude (4 km) - so that passengers can breathe - because The oxygen supply is only enough for about 10 minutes. But “falling” 6 km in 10 minutes is not a problem, it can be done faster, the main thing is that the passengers do not become hypothermic, because The difference in temperature on the ground and at an altitude of 10 km is 60 degrees Celsius. The probability of damage to the structure is somewhat greater - but nevertheless - not great.

There is such a thing as an emergency descent in less than 10 minutes. you can descend to a height of 3-4 km. But the sensations during such a descent will not be very pleasant; here on the ground your ears will ring from the sharp pressure drop, and even more so in the stratosphere.

Here are some more interesting points:

Airplanes spend most of their flight at high altitude, for good reasons: safety, comfort, economy. Whenever emergency situation, the crew of an aircraft located at high altitude has a greater reserve of time and opportunities to cope with it. In cold, rarefied air there is less resistance to movement, which saves fuel and cools engines better. On high altitudes there are no insects and birds, there are fewer strong and multidirectional air currents that cause turbulence (for example, when the air around cumulus clouds goes down and between them goes up).

In simple words, turbulence can be explained as follows: the plane moves through the air, as if on a tightly stretched carpet. Under favorable conditions, the pressure on the surface of the “carpet” is distributed evenly; it is even and smooth. But as soon as conditions change, folds and wrinkles appear along the “carpet of air.” Passengers feel this and it seems to them that the plane is diving into a hole. But their sensations deceive them: the plane does not fall and does not fail anywhere, but glides further (only not on a flat surface, but on a wavy surface).

If the engine fails, the plane does not roll or fall into a dive or spin - the thrust simply drops. The engines accelerate the plane, not steer it.

Even if all engines fail, they will still operate in autorotation mode (in this case, the energy required to rotate the engine is taken from the air flow incident on it). This allows the plane not to fall, but to glide (flying, if necessary, more than 100 km) and land safely at the nearest airport.

More about aviation: let’s remember about, but, well,

Porthole (from Latin illuminator - illuminator)

a glazed window in the hull or superstructure of a ship for lighting and ventilation of interior spaces. Ship windows are round (side and deckhouse) and rectangular (wheelhouse), solid and opening, often with waterproof covers. The choice of type I. is determined by the location of its installation and the distance to the waterline (See Waterline). I. are also called round windows of an underwater research vehicle, airplane, helicopter, spaceship, etc.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what “Illuminator” is in other dictionaries:

- (Dead light, bull's eye) round window on the ship. I. consists of a cast frame that covers a round cutout in the outer skin and is attached to it with bolts or rivets. An internal frame is hinged to this frame, into which is inserted... ... Nautical Dictionary

- (by this, see next word). 1) coloring paintings, engravings, lithographic prints. 2) small windows, side or deck, used to illuminate cabins and decks. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910.… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

1. PORTHOLE, a; m. [lat. illuminator] A hermetically sealed round window (on a ship, on an airplane, etc.). Side windows. Batten down the portholes. Porthole glass. Ship and. ◁ Porthole, oh, oh. And oh hole... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Transilluminator, draftsman, illuminator, window Dictionary of Russian synonyms. porthole noun, number of synonyms: 4 porthole (5) ... Dictionary of synonyms

porthole- a, m. illuminateur lat. illuminator. Illumination specialist; pyrotechnician BAS 1. Since illuminations have now become spectacles, they call someone who practices the art of distributing light or illumination in such a way... an Illuminator. Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

- (from the Latin illuminator illuminator) a glazed window on a ship, deep-sea or aircraft, round or rectangular, fixed or opening, with or without waterproof covers... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- [il], ​​porthole, husband. (from Latin illuminator, illuminator). 1. A tightly closing round window on the side of a ship (marine). 2. The person in charge of the illumination device (special). Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

PORTHOLE, huh, husband. A hermetically sealed window (on a ship, deep-sea vehicle or aircraft). Ship and. | adj. porthole, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (lat. illuminator illuminator) a round or rectangular window on the side of the ship’s hull, the wall of its superstructure or in the upper deck for light access ... Wikipedia

- (lat. illuminator, from illummo I illuminate) glass. window on a ship (see figure), underwater research. apparatus, airplane, helicopter, spacecraft. ship, etc. Ship's porthole... Big Encyclopedic Polytechnic Dictionary

PORTHOLE- Count portholes on a ship nice trip. Open you will be entrusted with freedom of action in making important decisions. You will be able to get through the difficult competition and take a prestigious vacancy. You look through the closed porthole... ... Big family dream book

Books

• Earth in the porthole (collection), Yuri Ivanovich. Since ancient times, intelligent beings have loved to have fun by hunting, but sooner or later any civilized society recognizes hunters as poachers and mercilessly fights the destruction of nature. But… e-book

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Why are airplane windows round? Why are the tips of the wings curved upward? And why do passengers enter from the left side?

Everything related to aviation is thought out to the smallest detail. Perhaps this is why the plane is the safest form of transport. And yet why is it designed this way?

website answers the 8 most popular “whys” about airplanes.

1. Why are airplane windows round?

In the early 1950s, de Havilland produced an aircraft called the Comet. An airplane that was considered a true miracle of aviation. However, a year later it fell to pieces in the air. A few months later, the same thing happened to two more aircraft.

Engineers ran diagnostics on every cog in the plane and found the problem. The cause of the disaster turned out to be the plane's windows - they were square. The fact is that the corners of the windows bear a large load, which increases even more during the flight. Engineers solved the problem by rounding the corners of the windows. Thanks to this, flying has now become much safer.

2. Why are the tips of the wings curved upward?

During flight, the pressure from below the plane is higher than the pressure from above. Therefore, the air strives for equilibrium and tries to move from an elevated area to a lower one. The easiest way to do this is on the wings of an airplane. It was only when the air reached the tips of the wings that it broke off and created strong turbulence.

The nose of a military fighter is sharp. The sharper the shape, the more streamlining and the faster the plane. But because of the long nose it’s hard to see runway, so for ordinary passenger aircraft the nose is rounded.

But British engineers solved this problem and in 1969 made one of the fastest passenger aircraft, the nose of which can change its inclination. During takeoff and landing, the nose is lowered, and during flight it is brought to a vertical position.

This strange design is made for one reason only: this way, pilots can better see the runway during takeoff and landing.

4. Why are planes white?

Most planes are white, and for good reason. There are several reasons:

• Heat reflection. If an airplane is painted white, it accumulates less heat. This is better for passengers and more economical for the airline.
• White paint is cheaper. Painting an airplane white is several times cheaper than painting it in any other color.
• Bird strike prevention. Birds see reflections from white surfaces better and do not collide with aircraft.
• It's easier to see cracks and dents on white. White parts are easier to recognize in a crash and damage to the hull is easier to spot.

5. Why is the entrance on the left?

Not all, but many aircraft models have the main passenger entrance on the left. There are 3 versions of why this is the case.

• Version 1. Luggage is loaded on the right side (the luggage hatches are on the right), so it is also unsafe to let passengers in on the right.
• Version 2. There is an assumption that this migrated to airplanes from ships: passengers entered along a ladder onto the left side of the ship.
• Version 3. Previously, the commander always sat on the left. The location of the passenger door, also on the left, gave him best review and made it possible to more accurately adjust the aircraft to the passenger area.

6. Why are some planes so strangely shaped?

You've probably heard about the plane, which is also called invisible. It has such an unusual shape for one simple reason: it flies as one solid object. This makes it faster, can carry more luggage and uses less fuel.

The design of airplanes is inspired by birds. Birds of prey adopt this posture to increase their flight range and be less noticeable.

However, the production of an aircraft of this shape is very expensive, so it is not used in civil aviation.

7. Why do planes seem spacious?

Airplane windows are called portholes. On modern airliners they always have a rounded shape - if not round, then certainly oval. Many people wonder why this particular form was chosen? After all, square and rectangular windows are successfully used in the windows of houses and cars. What is the difference, is this choice random?

It turns out that rounded windows are used in aircraft construction for a reason; practice itself dictated that people need to choose this particular form.

Pre-50s airplane windows

At the dawn of aircraft construction, rectangular windows were actually used, more reminiscent of the windows of modern cars. They did not cause any problems until the 50s, before the beginning of the jet age in aircraft manufacturing. The first experiments in this direction were made in Britain, where they created an airliner called Comet - already a jet, but with old rectangular windows. It was an exceptional aircraft for its era.

Interesting fact: The Comet airliner had a pressurized cabin and other characteristics unique for that time. But by 1954, two aircraft of this series simply fell apart in flight, which necessitated a revision of their characteristics and design features.

Why were the Comet planes damaged?

A window in the shape of a rectangle or square has four weak points, which are located just in the corners. If you subject a house with ordinary rectangular windows to any significant physical stress, for example, you will notice that cracks will start from the corner parts of the windows, and only then will begin to spread to the entire structure. During takeoff, during the flight, the aircraft also experiences very significant loads. During flight, the pressure inside the aircraft body is as much as 3 times higher than the pressure outside; when landing, the pressure on both sides of the aircraft body is equalized. The airframe is also affected by temperature changes, which cause slight changes in the dimensions of the airframe.

As a result, if there are square or rectangular portholes, so-called metal fatigue accumulates in the corner parts, they become brittle and vulnerable. This subsequently leads to metal ruptures in these very places.

This is exactly what happened with the Komet aircraft. Initially, designers and experts were at a loss and could not find the cause of the problems. Later, when multiple pressure drops on the cabin were simulated under laboratory conditions, it was discovered that the housing began to burst as a result, and the ruptures came right from the corners of the window.

Under the influence of external factors, small ruptures and cracks in the fuselage quickly increase, the body of the aircraft is literally torn into pieces, which is what happened with two sides of the Comet series. A weak point leading to accidents has been discovered.

Development of round windows for aircraft

Next, experiments were carried out on the first sides with rounded windows of the modern type. Multiple repetitions and various tests have clearly shown that such a problem does not arise with them. Rounded structures have taken root in the aircraft industry; they are still used today, as they do not create additional risks, eliminate dangerous situations, and fully justify their use. Modern aircraft fly even faster than Comets, they experience more significant overloads, but the body successfully withstands them - largely thanks to the rounded windows.

Round windows evenly distribute the load on them and do not have the ability to concentrate it at certain points. In addition, when choosing rounded shapes, it is easier to ensure cabin sealing, which is absolutely necessary when taking into account modern speeds and flight altitudes of air transport.

Today, aircraft manufacturing uses glass with a special curve, with a carefully calibrated composition, which protects the safety of passengers and crew. Not only do they not transfer a concentrated load to the body, but they also protect against the risk of cracks and other damage on their surface.

Thus, the rounded shape of airplane windows was not chosen by chance. It eliminates the risk of accidents and does not concentrate the load on the body. Practice has shown that the load is concentrated at the corners of rectangular or square portholes, these places are subject to increased wear, and subsequently to deformation and ruptures. During the flight, this can lead to an accident, depressurization of the cabin, or rupture of the metal body.

Round windows have proven themselves well in practice; they do not create additional risks, which is why they are actively used in the aircraft industry. The practice of their use has been for more than 60 years. Designers do not need to change this solution; it was chosen correctly.

If you intend to take a flight, you need to have at least some knowledge about the structure of an airliner. It is also advisable to know what the window on an airplane is called, how it is designed and other nuances, so that in case of an unforeseen danger you know how to behave correctly.

Those who have flown on airplanes at least once in their lives have seen that there are small holes in the cabin. The point is that these are not just windows designed for passengers to look out of. They have special purposes that it is advisable for all passengers to know about.

A window on an airplane is called a porthole., and it plays an important role in passenger safety. It is during the flight that the windows provide complete safety to the people in the cabin.

In appearance, these windows resemble double-glazed windows. They are made of durable plastic, and in several layers. The outer part is particularly durable in order to cope with various loads and ensure the safety of the flight. In turn, the inner part is needed for thermal insulation and sound insulation during the flight. It is made of budget plexiglass, so it is not as durable as the external one. To avoid a significant difference in pressure in the air gap and between the glass in the cabin, these windows have a special hole. It normalizes pressure and removes excess air.

Why do you need to open the curtains during takeoff and landing?

Statistics show that the majority of accidents on board occur during takeoff and landing. That is why, at this time, flight attendants are ordered to closely monitor what is happening on the plane, inform passengers about the rules of behavior during takeoff and landing, and also promptly report various emergency situations that may arise. It should be noted that in this case, special attention is given to the portholes. It is imperative to open them because:

1. The eyes of people on the plane must get used to the lighting, because the main light is turned off at this time.
2. This allows you to see with your own eyes what is happening overboard, assess the situation and, if necessary, take measures.
3. This makes it possible not to get hurt in case of a hard landing, because the plastic curtain can break and damage your face.
4. This makes it easier to navigate. Passengers can see them landing or taking off.

Many also wonder whether the windows are capable of breaking during a hard landing. In general, they are made of materials that are resistant to pressure changes. That is why they are practically not damaged. If this happens, it will not affect the safety of passengers in any way.

What shape should portholes be?

Square portholes consist of four 90-degree notches, meaning they have four weak points. At emergency landing One of the corners is sure to crack, which leads to cracking of the rest. Thus, this form is the most inappropriate. It’s another matter if the plane has round windows, which prevents the liner from being torn into pieces, and also prevents cracks from appearing in the corners. Such windows cope much better with pressure changes.