Why plane windows are always rounded and not square, a pilot explains
Marvelling at the ingenuity of planes and flying in general is no doubt a regular occurrence for many travellers.
How did they work out to get a huge lump of metal filled to the brim with passengers and luggage to stay airborne and open up the world for eager explorers?
Not without much trial and error of course. One feature of planes that has been tweaked over time is the shape of the windows, with a pilot recently explaining why they are always rounded.
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Plane windows are rounded for a very important reason. Getty
In a video on TikTok, American Airlines pilot Captain Steve said planes in the 1950s actually had windows that were more of a square shape.
"Some of the airliners were designed with square windows and over in Europe as airplanes started to climb higher and require more pressurisation, they discovered a problem," he shared in a clip that has since been viewed over two million times.
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Following a series of inflight disasters caused by their rectangular counterparts, the window designs had to be changed.
"The airplanes literally came apart," he said.
He added that "they lost a few airplanes in midair" because the square windows created "a hairline crack" - right in the edge. And the stress on the airframe caused by the pressurisation was simply too much.
As a result, engineers rounded the windows' frames so they wouldn't break under the strain and they've "never had a problem since," according to the pilot.
They've not had a problem since the window design was changed. TikTok
It comes after another pilot revealed there is a secret window that opens in the cockpit.
Airline worker Sabrina shared a TikTok video showing where the window is located in the cockpit of the plane. But she was quick to clear up that the pilots are not able to open the window whenever they want.
"No they don't open in flight, the limitation on that is less than 160 knots (approx. 296km/hr)", she revealed.
"And theoretically because of the pressure, I can't try and open up the window at cruising altitude like it won't let me, I won't have the strength too," the young pilot added.
"So don't worry, no one is up here opening your windows. It's just for when we're sitting on the ground.
