Stupid Question About Windows

[kari]

I only ask because I've been wondering this since I was like 2 or something and haven't been able to find out because nobody who I've asked knows and I'm too thick to figure it out for myself. So you can prove your genius :)

The windows on some (not all) aeroplanes have what is best described as a bit in them which to look at you would think serve no apparent purpose ... but having said that it must serve a purpose because I can see no reason why they would bother otherwise. You know the bit I mean. It's a bit that's in the middle near the bottom. Does this serve a really important purpose?

[mkahanek]

Airline windows typically comprise three or more layers of glass (or acrylic) to provide insulation from the very cold atmosphere at altitude. The tiny silvery cylinder is really the edge of a small hole drilled in the middle layer to allow the pressure to equalise between the layers while minimising convection.

[Captain Hutch]

Kari,

Do you dream up these questions so you can stump me? :confused:

Mkahanek has a good idea there but without having a picture to see exactly what you are talking about I can only guess. I will definitely check out the windows of the aeroplanes the next time I take flight.

Do you know if the thingamajig is different on the exit window versus the nonexit windows? Is the thingamajig reversed on the British made aerocraft?

Working on it, :cry:

Captain Hutch

[Captain Hutch]

ps. who is the man in the light corduroy trousers?

[Barb-SAN]

but without having a picture to see exactly what you are talking about I can only guess.
Captain Hutch

It's the "Google Challenge"...here's a link to a photo from Google Images...is this the thingie you are talking about, Kari??:D

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yugatech.com/photos/ipap-photos/pakistan_4338.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yugatech.com/photos/%3Fa%3Dtrip-to-islamabad-pakistan%26i%3D1999&h=400&w=600&sz=16&hl=en&start=34&tbnid=6QkCX4o3p2XFBM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dairplane%2Bwindow%2B%26start%3D20%26g bv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

[kari]

Do you dream up these questions so you can stump me?

Yes. You learn quickly :)

Do you know if the thingamajig is different on the exit window versus the nonexit windows?

As far as I've noticed exit and nonexit makes no difference. And it's not a thingamajig, it's a "bit." :D

Is the thingamajig reversed on the British made aerocraft?

Mirror image, backwards, forwards, it looks exactly the same ... so although it might be reversed it's impossible to say one way or the other, really.

is this the thingie you are talking about, Kari?

Yes, that's it. And it frosts over like that. I think Mkahanek has nailed it.

ps. who is the man in the light corduroy trousers?

There is no delicate way of phrasing this. Last Saturday night in London (kids - don't do this) my pal was somewhat disturbed by a man in light corduroy trousers on the tube who seemed determined that he was going to stand a bit too close and I'll leave you to figure out the rest. He even followed her when she stepped away. The moral of the story? Don't go on the Piccadilly line after half past six.

[Barb-SAN]

It's the "Google Challenge"...here's a link to a photo from Google Images...is this the thingie you are talking about, Kari??:D

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yugatech.com/photos/ipap-photos/pakistan_4338.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yugatech.com/photos/%3Fa%3Dtrip-to-islamabad-pakistan%26i%3D1999&h=400&w=600&sz=16&hl=en&start=34&tbnid=6QkCX4o3p2XFBM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dairplane%2Bwindow%2B%26start%3D20%26g bv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

I have a technical question here...I used to be able to shorten these links by using the [url=
code, but for some reason it doesn't seem to work any more. I hate putting up these huge links.... Funny thing...when I typed out the full code here as an example, it worked, but it didn't work for the link! Any suggestions, anyone?