The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #72388   Message #1246062
Posted By: freightdawg
12-Aug-04 - 02:53 PM
Thread Name: BS: Stupid question thread
Subject: RE: BS: Stupid question thread
Actually, some aircraft have windshield wipers, some do not. Aircraft designed to fly extremely fast, or alternatively, very cheaply, do not. Rain, snow, etc. is simply sheeted off of the windshield. In aircraft that are called on to fly in icing conditions (all commercial aircraft, many others) have heated windshields to melt off ice. Wipers and the mechanism that operates them are expensive, and prone to breaking at high speeds. Therefore they must be very sturdy, ergo, very expensive. Commercial jets that have wipers use them only on the ground where the droplets of water are not blown off

Speed is a wonderful thing.

Freightdawg (flying little planes is my job.)