Cockpit Windows

[Morrissey]

My apologies if you consider this has been posted to the wrong thread, but I have a question that popped into my head the other night afted one to many beers and you may be able to help.

Cockpit windows - how are they held shut?

Probably the most memorable pictures were of the Union Jack being waved out of the window of Concorde recently. Presumably you need a bit more than a couple of wing nuts to keep a window closed and airtight at 1,200 mph?

Many thanks

Morrissey

<New album out now...>

[SeldomFixit]

You could use a soggy toffee apple to hold a plug window or door closed once you put a few psid behind it.

[the egg man]

the window you see on concorde or any other type of aircraft that opens is known as a DV window or direct vision window.
it opens using a latching handle which unlocks the window to open and the window runs on rails to slide backwards.this window is the only one that opens in the aircraft and also serves as an escape route for the pilots in case of an emergency.
when closed the window is a plug type window,which means the window is bigger than the frame around it so acting like a plug ,there is a seal on thewindow frame to stop pressurised air leaking past it in flight and the pressurised air also insures the window is shut tight against the window frame.
this window and and all the other cockpit windows are heated in flight to prevent icing and also to improve impact resistance in case of a bird strike .
hope this is of help to you.