AIRCON ® Electrically Heated Acrylic

For years the only method available for application of electric heat to plastic aircraft transparencies has been with the usage of gold film technology. PPG has developed a new method for accomplishing this objective by utilizing the resistance wire technology used successfully for years by PPG in glass laminates. This paper presents the AIRCON ^® heating system designed for acrylic transparencies. The AIRCON in Plastic heating system is now in production for low voltage aircraft systems, but is also applicable for the higher voltages found on commercial and military aircraft. Specific items discussed are the advantages, performance, and durability of the heating system, and application to the variety of aircraft. A solution to the problem of transparency failure due to static electricity discharge is also presented.