My major experience of this type is in vacuum chambers,
     not pressure.  I
     > like this subject, though, and invite those who've been
     there and done that
     > to opine.
     >
     > Mike Decker

     Don't keep us in the dark Mike. What is it? Most people
     use acrylic
     windshields. I tried to buy a Lexan for my Cruiser and
     nobody
     wanted to do it.

     Paul Lamar

OK guys, Lexan, (a trade name for polycarbonate) would work fine in
moderate thickness. The reason Boeing and Airbus don't do it is that
it's cheaper to build lighter. It's also cheaper to provide less
air!
American Airlines even went the polished fuselage route due to the
weight
savings. I even saw a breakdown on the fuel savings over the life of
the
aircraft once. These are not major factors in a homebuilt! I my day
job I
recently built a vacuum chamber 6 feet in diameter 5 feet long. I
know all
about the pressures involved. For crying out loud guys we are
talking about
15 psi here not the end of the world. If you look on David Algies
website you
will notice if you check he planned to use separate panels for the
windshield.
That would be like Burt Rutans high altitude designs. Paul I believe
that David
IS optomistic on the fuel consumption figures. Most people are far
wilder. I
don't think that calls ALL his other engineering decisions into
question. The
side pods and monocoques Algie builds must withstand super high g
crashes
and remain intact. The drivers compartment specified to withstand
these
impacts. Paul you know better than anybody the kind of downforce
these
machines generate. 2000 lbs + is common. I don't have any financial
stake
in what David is doing, I simply know that most people see only
poorly
designed  Crappy RIM molded glass parts and vastly underestimate the
strength of modern Graphite or "carbon fiber" prepregs.
Respectfully,
Bill Jepson

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