GKN Aerospace has developed a new hydrophobic coating for cockpit windows in its transparencies centre of excellence in Garden Grove, USA. The permanent surface treatment delivers in-flight / ground operation rain shedding and significantly enhances resistance to surface abrasion. The technology is being flight trialled in the USA and is now undergoing performance assessment with Airbus on its flight-test aircraft.
Preliminary test results show that the new surface treatment could be added to the range of available solutions for ice and rain protection.
The new GKN Aerospace technology is a permanent solution that only needs to be applied once in the lifetime of a window. By contrast, the hydrophobic technologies currently available in the market today provide only a temporary solution that requires repeat application every six to eight months, dependent on flight hours and conditions.
