Cabin window design

The expanded operating conditions of the Gulfstream V aircraft required engineers to redesign the cabin windows to provide for a longer service life, lighter weight, and improved functionality.

Due to the increased flight envelope of Gulfstream V (GV) aircraft and the industry-wide problems with crazing of structural acrylic transparencies, a redesign of the cabin windows was undertaken. The primary goals of this effort were to develop a cabin window that remains condensation-free in all operating conditions, has improved service life, retains the size and shape of the classic Gulfstream cabin window, and meets all current U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) certification requirements. Cost and weight, as well as structural interchangeability with earlier Gulfstream aircraft, were also considered. These goals were addressed with a significant design and testing effort undertaken by both Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and its vendor, PPG Industries Inc. Aircraft Products. The resulting design, currently installed in all GV aircraft, retains the large field of view that is synonymous with all Gulfstream models while incorporating a number of newer technologies and improvements.

The Gulfstream I was introduced in 1958 as a large-cabin turboprop aircraft designed specifically to carry U.S. business executives to any location within the U.S. This tradition was continued by the introduction of the turbojet-powered Gulfstream II in 1967, the intercontinental Gulfstream III in 1979, the long-range Gulfstream IV in 1986, and, most recently, the ultra-long-range Gulfstream V in 1996. A prominent design feature that has been retained through each model and which has become a company design trademark is the large cabin windows. These windows are more than twice the size of typical airliner cabin windows, providing panoramic views both in the air and on the ground.