Hoping someone with experience in Aircraft design might be able to answer this question.
I have noticed a trend in aircraft design that is witnessed on three new cleansheet deigns of the past decade, the 787, A350, C-Series. And its a design feature that we haven't seen since the Commet or Caravelle. I'm specifically talking about the nose of the aircraft which continues downward from the cockpit windows rather than changing angle and jutting out.
Here are pictures of the Commet and the Caravelle
Commet
Caravelle
And here are pictures of the conventianal design of the 20th Century
B777
A330
Here are the new aircraft
B787
A350
C-series
So what is the deal? Why the sudden change back to this design for all three manufacturers? Obviously its what they have found aerodynamically most efficient, but then what on earth happened between the commet/caravelle and these newer designs? Why the switch away from this type of design and then back?