PPG Aerospace has announced that the brand name of its advanced transparent plastic material will be unveiled at the Paris Air Show, scheduled from June 20 to 26, 2011. OPTICOR is the first transparent plastic that has been developed for aerospace applications.
Passenger-cabin window featuring Opticor advanced transparency material
The advanced transparency material from PPG Aerospace meets the requirements of the aerospace industry in terms of weight, shape, and clarity. This high-performance plastic is lightweight, maintains optical clarity and has the capability to be transformed into any intricate shapes. The OPTICOR transparent plastic has high resistance to fire and craze and hence it is expected to substitute stretched acrylic used in passenger-cabin windows. In addition, it will be applied in cockpit windows, as it is a better substrate for nonmetallic and metallic coatings.
PPG Aerospace has planned to deploy equipment to manufacture the OPTICOR at its aerospace transparencies facility in Sylmar, California. The company will make windows at the California facility and will also use its other facilities located in Casaletto Vaprio, Italy and Huntsville, Alabama to carry out a similar operation.
Gulfstream has chosen the OPTICOR material for use in the new G650 jet’s passenger-cabin windows. PPG Aerospace’s advanced transparency material has passed the qualification testing of Federal Aviation Administration. Show attendees will have an opportunity to view a passenger-cabin window designed with the OPTICOR material.