What type of glass is used on the clear part of jets like an f-16. I have heard its a super hard material?

I remember seeing an interesting show where they were talking about the strongest materials on earth. and I remember them talking about the clear part of fighter jets and how the material was designed to be able to shrug off hitting birds at 600mph plus.What type of glass is used on the clear part of jets like an f-16. I have heard its a super hard material?
It's not glass. It's an impact resistant plastic called Lexan.What type of glass is used on the clear part of jets like an f-16. I have heard its a super hard material?
Fighter transparencies aren't made of a single piece of plastic. They are made from several layers of different materials that are fused together in a thermal environment. Polycarbonate resin (Lexan) and acrylic are the two primary components in the laminate.





The different layers have different physical characteristics to provide strength, flexibility, scratch resistance and the matrix provides temperature stability as well.





The thermoplastic laminate is heated in a large oven and stretched over a form, cooled, trimmed and drilled with special tooling. It is then mounted in the aluminum or composite frame with titanium screws or flush head bolts.





Although modern fighters are designed to take bird strikes to their windscreen, most transparencies are penetrated at 400 knots, causing catastrophic damage to the pilot and subsequent impact with the ground due to loss of control.





The F-15 has a transparency designed for 650 knot bird strikes and the F/A-18 is designed for 500 knot impacts, but windscreen and canopy impacts have caused enough damage to either kill the pilot or at least make the aircraft uncontrollable, resulting in aircrew ejection and loss of aircraft.





Transparency impact leads the list, with engine ingestion following closely behind, of the causes for aircraft crashes due to bird strike in both military and civilian accidents.





The 250 knot below 10,000 ft. airpseed limit was imposed because of the safety factors involved in bird strikes. Most bird strikes happen below 10,000 feet (where the birds are) and the speed limit reduces the number of fatal impacts due to bird strikes.





Google military bird strikes and you can read about the aircraft and crews that have been lost.
The canopies are strong, but none is indestructible.





An F-14's radome came off while supersonic. It bashed in the pilot's canopy, bashing in his helmet visor, and nearly knocking one of his eyes out.





';Withstand BIRDS';? Nothing--even air--is soft if you hit it fast enough or hit it wrong.
';I can't believe that they havnt found a mterial to withstand BIRDS!';


Well, get to work - you can make your fortune.
Transparent Aluminum.





A plexiglass manufacturer took out a patent on it back in 1986. Once he worked out the matrix, he became rich beyond his wildest dreams selling it to the military. They also use it in the space shuttle and Presidential limos. I have it on good authority that all the windows in the White House have been replaced with it as well.





Doesn't anyone watch Star Trek? Jeeesh.








It does NOT shrug off bird strikes. I have know of guys to practically lose their heads to hawks, cow birds and turkey vultures.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IAF_U鈥?/a>





http://thewebfairy.com/killtown/images/2鈥?/a>





Bird strikes are a constant danger and worry.

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