New configurations for the windshield and the canopy for a two-seater trainer military aircraft

This paper describes the results of a study on new configurations for the windshield and the canopy of the M346, a new military trainer aircraft with two staggered seats, currently in phase of construction at Aermacchi (Venegono Superiore, Italy). The study carried out demonstrated that forward rotation allows a reduction of the weight of the structure, improves the visual field of the pilots and moreover, allows a greater accessibility to the panel instrumentation. Obviously, all the related aspects have been considered in the development of the study, such as the opening/closure, latching/unlatching and locking systems of the canopy, the tightness for pressurisation, tightness for water and dust also when the aircraft is parked, the resistance to bird impact, the forces due to wind when the canopy is opened on the ground and, in the case of emergency, the systems to break the transparent material and to eject the pilots.