Paints, coatings and materials specialist PPG is providing special windows for the wingtip sensor pods on the Airbus A340 BLADE (breakthrough laminar aircraft demonstrator in Europe) technology demonstrator. Also known as Flight Lab 2, the A340 is being modified by Airbus to test two types of laminar-flow outer wing sections as part of the Europe-wide Clean Sky program. A first flight with the new wings is due in the second half of this year.
PPG has designed and produced windows for the test equipment pods that are mounted on the BLADE’s wingtips. The windows are curved, but need to be lightweight and also have excellent optical quality to allow the test equipment to perform to its full specification. To answer these exacting requirements, PPG is using its Opticor material, which is lighter and of higher optical clarity than stretched acrylic. The company is providing two sets of windows in four shapes.