What about small airplane windshield? Maybe also side windows and roof?

[Big time]

What do you guys think about transplanting the windshield of a small airplane?
Its been designed to be aerodynamic yet lightweight.

I've read that many airplane "glass" is actually Lexan. Only some aircraft glass actually have glass in their outer surfaces.
I've read somewhere that laws require cars to have glass at least on the windshield.

Maybe you can even take sideglass, hey maybe the entire plane roof.
Of course you'll need a wide enough plane with side by side seating.

[skyking]

all but the most expensive heated windscreens are lexan. with proper care they look great.
A typical side by side plane has very little structure in the side of the cabin that you could call "side impact protection", so you'd have to beef things up there. This would make the body a bit wider than the windsreen.

[Piwoslaw]

How long would it last? Airplanes don't see road debris up close too often...

[skyking]

It's pretty durable, but I would think wiper action/dirt would do more to harm it than anything .You'd be polishing it all the time to get rid of or minimize scratches and hazing.

[metromizer]

here's a link with information on how to make your own

The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center

[Sporty Modder]

Found this, a good reason to use automotive safety glass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8FBx...e_gdata_player

Think of what would happen if that was one piece of poly that didnt break.

[TOOSTUBBORN2FAIL]

Actually, if the lexan was thick enough, it would have been safer. Theres a reason almost all racecars use lexan instead of glass. 3/16" would be thick enough. The reason lexan is illegal, is because it cant be broken as easily as glass in case of the need to rescue someone.

[ecomodded]

I think you can not use it because if you go threw it, like in a head on collision you may get large cuts from the cracked/broken Lexan. The safety glass breaks into small less harmful pieces.
It would be mighty hard to break in case of a emergency.

[kach22i]

In one of the Terrafugia flying car videos on Youtube, a female engineer in a hanger explains the process they went though to get both automotive and FAA approvals. The car/plane is registered as an "Off-Road" vehicle which can occasionally operate on the public roads.

She said they had to hire an engineer from the automobile industry, happened to be one with electric car experience in order to get the project done. Claimed the automotive aspects were trickier to comply with than the FAA.

Anyway, they use a polycarbonate windshield (legal on an off-road vehicle) which is coated to protect it from the abrasion of the windshield wipers (a car thing).

The earlier canard bumper was ditched in favor of a longer nose with crush/crumple zone.

Many other interesting things in that video. Unfortunately, Terrafugia has too many videos to sort through so I cannot find it for you.

[aerohead]

I'm pretty certain that laminated safety glass will be required for any automobile.Even production 'motorcycles' like the Litestar,and trikes like the Corbin Sparrow have laminated safety glass windshields.
A Litestar/Pulse owners group was talking about pooling enough cash ($10,000) for tooling to produce replacement windshields.
The tooling for the 'Marauder',LOLA GTP replicar windshield cost $29,000.The windshield sells for $3,000.
This is a tough on for D.I.Y..