Why are airplane windows round and not square? Here's the answer
Why are airplane windows round and not square? Here's the answer
The reason why airplane windows are designed in an oval shape instead of a square shape
If you have ever been on an airplane, or even watched a movie or television scene of a passenger on an airplane contemplating the sky through its window, you must have noticed that airplane windows are always in a round or oval shape.
Perhaps you have wondered why this design is always chosen for airplane windows, and not made in a square or rectangular shape? Does this have a scientific purpose or is it just a decoration and custom among aircraft manufacturers? Below we explain the exact reason why airplane windows are round.
?Why are airplane windows designed round
The story began in the mid-twentieth century, when airlines began flying their planes at higher altitudes. The goal of this step was to save money, because flying at high altitudes means that the air density will become less, and thus air resistance will become less, which also means less fuel consumption and saving money. Flying in the upper layers of the atmosphere also makes the journey smoother and quieter.
In order to make the planes fly at high altitudes, it was necessary to make some modifications to the structure and design of the plane. Therefore, the pressure in the plane’s cabin was adjusted so that passengers could breathe easily. The plane’s body was also made in a cylindrical shape to be able to withstand the new, increased internal pressure.
Aircraft manufacturers believed that they had designed the perfect plane. In the 1950s, when airplanes began to occupy an essential position in the world of transportation, the company “De Havilland Comet” became a pioneer in aircraft design, producing planes with a pressurized cabin that could reach a higher altitude and more quickly.
These planes had square-shaped windows. In 1953, two planes of this model fell, and 56 people were killed as a result. It was found that the cause of that fall was the windows.
What is the problem with square windows? Why does it have to be round?
Square windows cause a big problem for planes when flying at high altitudes, due to the pressure difference between the atmosphere and the pressure in the plane's cabin. This pressure causes the plane cabin to expand slightly. This puts pressure on them, which is concentrated on the window frames.
In the case of square windows, this pressure accumulates especially on the sharp edges of square windows. When the pressure increases significantly, disaster occurs and the plane is torn apart. However, if the windows are round or oval, the pressure is distributed smoothly along the window frame, and this design helps to avoid the problem. The precedent of accumulating pressure on certain points.
Additional information about aircraft windows
In the context of talking about airplane windows, you may have noticed another strange feature related to this topic. As the windows of airplanes are often not in line with the rows of seats, that is, there may not be a window next to each row of seats, which may constitute an inconvenience for some passengers who want to contemplate through the window.
The blame for this matter does not actually lie with the aircraft manufacturers, but rather with the airlines that buy and operate these aircraft. Aircraft manufacturing companies build the plane according to an ideal design that includes rows of seats, space for the feet, and appropriate placement of windows in addition to the rows of seats.
They recommend this design to airlines, but these companies rarely adhere to this design, and they stack the rows of seats together and close together, which leads to these rows not being compatible with the windows next to them.
Thus, through this topic, we have learned about the scientific and engineering reason that prompts aircraft manufacturing companies to design aircraft windows in a circular or oval shape, and not square as is the case with cars or buses. The reason, in brief, lies in avoiding the concentration of pressure on the edges of the windows, which could lead to Catastrophic and tragic accidents.
Source: website