A system and method for sending signals at temperatures associated with hypersonic speeds. A window system in a hypersonic aircraft is provided. The window system comprises a transmissive window in an aeroshell of the hypersonic aircraft, a thermal seal, a sensor, and a sensor housing assembly enclosing the sensor. The transmissive window comprises a facesheet and insulating material adjacent to the facesheet. The thermal seal surrounds a perimeter of the facesheet and seals the facesheet to the aeroshell. The window system is radio-frequency transparent at temperatures associated with hypersonic speeds. The window system is configured to operate at an insertion loss of less than one decibel at the hypersonic speeds.

An electro-optic device includes a first electro-optic element and a second electro-optic element in series with the first electro-optic element via a common node conductively connecting the first electro-optic element to the second electro-optic element. A power supply circuitry includes a first node and a second node. The first node connects the power supply circuitry to the first electro-optic element, and the second node connects the power supply circuitry to the second electro-optic element.

A system may include an augmented reality (AR) aircraft window. The AR aircraft window may include a transparent emissive display layer, a camera, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transparent emissive display layer and the camera. The processor may be configured to: receive, from an avionics computing device, aircraft data including information of a location, an altitude, a heading, and a bank angle of an aircraft; receive video from the camera; perform head tracking operations to determine a position of at least one of eyes or a head of a user based at least on the video from the camera; generate graphical AR content aligned with the user's view through the AR aircraft window based at least on the aircraft data and performance of the head tracking operations; and output, to the transparent emissive display layer, the graphical AR content when at least one window shader element is transparent.

A mold for casting a polymeric aircraft window panel includes a first mold half having a first mold surface, and a second mold half having a second mold surface. The first mold surface and/or the second mold surface have a shape conforming to a final shape for the major surfaces of the aircraft window panel. The first mold half and/or the second mold half can be formed of rolled, hydroformed, or stamped metal.

A window assembly heat transfer system is disclosed in which a window member has a selected transparency to monitored or sensed light wavelengths. One or more passages are provided in the window member for flowing a single-phase or two-phase heat transfer fluid, the passages being optically non-transparent to the monitored or sensed light wavelengths. A mechanism allows either evaporation or condensation of the fluid and/or balancing of a flow of the fluid within the passages. In one embodiment, the window assembly can be made by producing passages in a top surface of a first single plate, optionally producing passages in a bottom surface of a second single plate and bonding the top surface of the first plate to a bottom surface of a second single plate to form the window member with the passage or passages. In another embodiment, the window assembly can be made by providing a core around which the window member material is grown and thereafter removing the core to produce the passage or passages.

A fastener includes a head that is configured to be engaged by a tool, and a shaft extending from the head. The shaft includes a distal end that is opposite from the head. At least one optical component is coupled to one or both of the head or the shaft. The optical component(s) is configured to allow light to pass through the fastener. A window system includes a panel that includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, and the fastener extending between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the panel. A screen is coupled to the interior surface. The screen receives light from the optical component(s) of the fastener.

A passenger window shade on an aircraft is provided. The passenger window shade includes a first section of the passenger window shade. The first section forms a substantially flat and thin plane. The first section has a first transparency to visible light. The passenger window shade includes a second section of the passenger window shade situated within the first section. The second section includes a second transparency to visible light that is different from the first transparency such that an image is formed inside the aircraft when visible light is aimed at the passenger window shade from outside the aircraft.

A transparency includes a plurality of sheets. Each sheet of the plurality of sheets can include a first major surface, an opposite second major surface, and a peripheral surface between the first major surface and the second major surface. The transparency can further include: an inter-sheet layer positioned between the first major surface of one of the sheets of the plurality of sheets and the second major surface of an adjacent sheet of the plurality of sheets; and a wireless sensor positioned in the inter-sheet layer. The wireless sensor includes a sensory portion configured to measure information representative of a condition of a portion of the transparency and a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the received information to a wireless receiver.

An aircraft including a support structure, an outer skin connected to the support structure, a first port extending through the outer skin and defining a first break in the support structure. The aircraft also includes a first receptacle attached to the support structure proximate the first port and defining a first opening, a ball-mounted sensor assembly received in the first receptacle and extending downward from the outer skin, a second port extending through the outer skin and defining a second break in the support structure, a second receptacle attached to the support structure proximate the second port and defining a second opening. A method of retrofitting an aircraft to accommodate a ball-mounted sensor assembly and a payload is also disclosed.

An electro-optic device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. A first electrode is coupled to the first substrate and a second electrode is coupled to the second substrate. An electro-optic medium is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode and is configured to be electro-activated between states. A plurality of transistors are in electrical communication with the electro-optic medium to switch localized regions of the electro-optic medium between states.