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Yes, any aircraft can be retrofitted with SPD-Smart windows. Just complete the “Project Inquiry Form” found in the main menu “Contact” section, to learn more about SPD-Smart aircraft products. Be sure to indicate your interest is in aftermarket installations.

SPD-Smart dimmable windows can be installed on all cabin windows, including the Emergency Exit Window. Interior partitions, such as those dividing the cockpit and the cabin, also can be equipped with larger SPD-Smart aircraft window panels.

No. Contact Research Frontiers licensees for details.

No. Research Frontiers licensees offer systems that enable the SPD-Smart dimmable windows to be clear upon boarding, and remain clear upon disembarking.

Yes.

Yes. Using a switch similar to a light bulb “dimmer switch,” the tint of the SPD-Smart aircraft window can be precisely and infinitely tuned to any level. This is done instantly, which is in stark contrast to another type of smart window (“electrochromic” or “electrochromatic”), where the user is forced to choose among several pre-set levels.

No. The products offered by Research Frontiers licensees include optical interlayers that block more than 99.9% of UV light. This protects the SPD-Smart dimmable windows from discoloring – and also protects aircraft interiors’ materials from fading.

Yes. Research Frontiers licensees are currently offering products capable of providing complete privacy on-demand with the push of a button.

A complete switching cycle of the SPD-Smart aircraft window, from fully clear to fully dark, and then back to fully dark, occurs in just a few seconds. This is in stark contrast to another type of smart window (“electrochromic” or “electrochromatic”), where a switching cycle can take several minutes.

SPD-Smart aircraft windows can achieve over 99.9% light blockage – almost all incoming visible light is blocked. The same window can be optically transparent – clearer than the average aircraft window. Adjustment of the voltage to an SPD-Smart aircraft window allows users to choose an infinite number of tinting levels between these points.

SPD-Smart aircraft windows use SPD film enclosed between thin plastic layers. Within this film are microscopic particles. When no electrical voltage is present, the particles absorb light and block it from passing through the film. When an electrical voltage is applied, the particles align so that light can pass through. Adjusting the voltage to the film provides a range of transparencies (i.e. very dark to fully clear) where light transmission can be rapidly varied to any degree desired depending upon preference or pre-programmed requirements.

SPD-Smart cabin windows have no moving parts, reducing maintenance costs and downtime. They block more than 99.9% of harmful UV light, protecting the interior from fading. They default to their darkest possible state when the aircraft is on the ground, maximizing heat rejection and keeping interiors cooler. Operators have total light-control in their cabin, which increases passenger comfort and satisfaction. SPD-Smart products are fabricated by laminating film between substrates, which act as noise barriers, keeping cabins quieter.

SPD-Smart dimmable window products offered by Research Frontiers licensees are the only “smart windows” to offer instant switching, an extremely dark state, and unlimited “tuning” between clear and dark. In 2001, they became the world’s first dimmable aircraft windows. These windows are still in service, validating the superior durability of SPD-Smart aviation products over any other shading system. To this day, they remain the only dimmable window to receive certification under FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). In 2008, they became the first dimmable windows to fly on a commercial airline - Qantas Airlines Airbus A380s.

SPD-Smart dimmable windows allow you to instantly regulate light, glare and heat entering your aircraft windows. You can control your dimmable windows from fully clear to very dark, and to any level of tint in between. You simply push a button to electrically tune the tint of your window.

SPD-Smart aircraft products include cabin windows, partitions and cockpit visors.

The SPD film layer in SPD-Smart aircraft windows could be called a “light valve.” In the film, droplets of liquid suspension are distributed. Light-absorbing microscopic particles are dispersed within the liquid suspension. The SPD emulsion is enclosed between two plastic substrates coated with a transparent conductive material. The particles are randomly oriented due to Brownian motion and absorb 99% – 99.9% of visible light hitting window. When an electrical voltage is applied, the particles align due to a field effect and light passes through the window. This gives users a range of transparency where light transmission can be rapidly varied depending upon the amount of voltage applied.