Cancidas From Poland, joined Jul 2003, 4112 posts, RR: 13 Posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 4210 times:
I have seen some older A/C with eyebrow windows like the DC-9, DC-8, 727, MD-80, etc... Why do newer A/C not have them and why do Airbuses not have them either?
"...cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home."
Bigphilnyc From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 4073 posts, RR: 56 Reply 1, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 4166 times:
Because the modern planes like to go to clubs. And those are the kind of planes that get their eyebrows waxed.
No, but that's a good question. I wonder that myself.
Heavymx1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2003, 305 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 4108 times:
This has been discused before. Today with TCAS and other positioning insturments they are no longer needed.
Mhsieh From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 332 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 4001 times:
The newer aircraft (starting with DC-10 and L-1011) seem to have larger cockpit windows. The visibility is a lot better than in the 727, 737, 747, DC8, and DC9. I wonder if technology improved to allow larger windows to be made? Was the size limitation due to strength (pressure the windows can withstand) ?
Francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 3957 times:
I've always thought of them as sunroofs for pilots...
I think it has something to do with navigating with stars, since back in the time navigating over wide desolate parts of the earth (oceans especially) proved to be tricky without the help of INS or GPS.
Many pilots had (some still have, but a dying breed) to learn star navigation, which is of course not really used anymore...
I have been raised with GPS' all around and I am too young and ignorant to know more about it, so... Help? Anyone?
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
HeavyMx1 From United States of America, joined Jun 2003, 305 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 3933 times:
The L10-11 actually has a window/sight for the crew to use for navigation by the stars if needed.
Flyf15 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 3929 times:
They're for better visibility. Say you're the captain, and in a 20-30 degree bank right turn, how much are you going to be able to see as far as the horizon, sky goes in the area that you're turning into? Not a whole lot. Same idea in most aircraft, such as in light high wing singles where you have to move your head forward if you need to look to where you're turning due to the wing blocking it.
Lmp737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 3911 times:
Newer production 717 have the eyebrow windows removed. Not really removed more like not cutting holes in the aluminum to put them there in the first place. This cuts down on production and maintenance costs.
Wing From Turkey, joined Oct 2000, 1552 posts, RR: 25 Reply 8, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 3885 times:
Whatever reason they are for,it certainly makes me uncomfortable during the afternoon flights because a lot of sunshine comes in.Although it has a green plastic sunshade it still needs to be covered with some piece of paper otherwise it really sweats.There is no such procedure to look from eyebrow window during turns,or we don't have the equipment needed to navigate from stars in the cockpit(we had a lesson about it in my CPL class though).
Avioniker From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1109 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3859 times:
Actually celestial navigation was done through a port where one could attach a sextant. ( For you younger guys that's the cigarette disposal hole in the ceiling of the cockpit in the DC-8's and older 747's.) Not through the eyebrow windows. They were installed for visibility in steep approach turns and to provide additional visibility to the pilots for traffic scanning. They have been deemed unnecessary and won't be installed any more in the 717 and the 737 is losing them too.
One may educate the ignorance from the unknowing but stupid is forever. Boswell; ca: 1533
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 10, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 3826 times:
Hi guys.
These eyebrow windows seem to be prefered by the UK's Royal Navy & Royal Airforce on their BAe Jetstream 31 aircraft (older bizjet). I can't find any photos of civilian Jetstream 31's that have these eyebrow windows. Does this mean that these windows were only an option for the UK's military and not any civilian owners?
Perhaps military pilots need these overhead windows for when they're flying in formation, or for very steep banking?
The Rockwell Sabreliner (another older bizjet), also has eyebrow windows. Unfortunately the photo database's search engine currently has some bugs in it, so I could only retrieve one photo!
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 11, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 3815 times:
Oops!
I didn't mean to refer to the BAe Jetstream 31 as an "old bizjet". It's obviously a turboprop, and they're not that old.
I was thinking about the Lockheed Jetstar when I typed that mistake. The Jetstar is another older bizjet (from the late 1950's) like the Rockwell Sabreliner, and it also has eyebrow windows. Unfortunately, when I click on the Jetstar while doing a photo search, there are no photos available at this time. I've looked at pages & pages of Jetstar & Sabreliner photos in the past though. OH well!
You can view one thumbnail photo of a Lockheed Jetstar in the Aircraft Data & History section, however, if you try to enlarge it, no photo exists!
Francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 12, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 3734 times:
I fly the jetstream, and the windshields really are tiny. On 30-so degrees turn to final leg I sometimes find myself having to lower my head to look up to the runway.
Nonetheless I realise that the early military version's eyebrow windows would really have no use in normal comercial operation. You'd really have to regularly do some quasi-aerobatic maneuvers to see some ground through them.
And it's already hot like hell in there so the last thing you want from it is to also be a mini greenhouse...
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
Shenzhen From United States of America, joined Jun 2003, 1701 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 3725 times:
Being able to see the horizon in a bank... such as a runway.
The 737NG will soon be delivering without these eyebrow windows, just like the 717.
Wing From Turkey, joined Oct 2000, 1552 posts, RR: 25 Reply 14, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 3714 times:
Sometimes if you ar sitting opposite side of final turn as the PF its impossible to see the runway from your position.It such case we as a procedure change flt controls to the PNF who has a better view.I have never seen anyone doing or I did a final turn from looking from an eyebrow window.It is not possible to have a good view from it since it has a thick plastic green sunshade and map light attached on it.But I am only talking what we do in my workplace and my type of airplane.
Shenzhen From United States of America, joined Jun 2003, 1701 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3646 times:
Wing,
I believe that the eyebrow windows aren't being used as intended way back when, cause normally they are covered with something, to block out the sun.
This is why they are being removed from all Boeing Commercial airplanes. In addition, it will save time and money during production.
Mr Spaceman From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 2780 posts, RR: 15 Reply 16, posted (9 years 10 months 2 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 3627 times:
Hi guys.
Wing, Francoflier, and Shenzhen all mentioned that those eyebrow windows can help contribute to the cockpit getting really hot & sweaty inside .... like a greenhouse.
I guess the pilots in this photo are feeling that way.
The photographer states ......
I can only imagine, how hot it can get in a cockpit. The pilot is cooling down the cockpit with the open windows.
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