Windows in the Roland C.II

[AOB]

Were they really windows with glass in them or cut out panels?

[JG4_Moltke1871]

Hmmm, did you try to shoot the window with your pistol?

[AndyJWest]

I'd have thought they'd be more likely to be made from celluloid than glass: lighter, and less likely to shatter into lacerating shards. Safety glass (two layers of glass with a layer of celluloid in between) was sometimes used for windscreens, as it was better optically, but it was expensive and heavy.

 

 

[Avimimus]

Yes, celluloid was common in WWI. There were even a few attempts to make aircraft which had 'glass house' internal cockpits. For instance this Taube VII of 1912: 

 

As well as attempts to make transparent aircraft to maximise visual stealth.

 

In the sim you'll find celluloid windows on a few other aircraft (e.g. the Sopwith Strutter).

 

P.S. Perhaps the most exotic material of the era was Mica (in this case, the passenger compartment was made by a carriage company):

 

[AndyJWest]

There was this one too, though some sources seem to suggest that these German attempts at 'invisible aircraft' used cellulose acetate, rather than celluloid (which was cellulose nitrate based).

[sallee]

15 hours ago, AOB said:

Were they really windows with glass in them or cut out panels?

Definitely celluloid. Otherwise the curtains would be blown about...see image, although the curtains seem to have been painted on. The "windows" seem to be openable as well.

[ST_Catchov]

8 hours ago, AndyJWest said:

There was this one too, though some sources seem to suggest that these German attempts at 'invisible aircraft' used cellulose acetate, rather than celluloid (which was cellulose nitrate based).

 

Sure. Show us a pic of an empty field and that proves there were invisible aircraft through the magic of cellulose. C'mon, we're not stupid.

[Davesax1965]

Not sure about the Luftstreitkrafte, but RAF / RFC aircraft used a material called Cellon, an early plastic. I know it was fitted to wing panels in some cases.

Cellon tended to degrade and was more fragile than doped cloth. If it was celluloid based, it was definitely a major fire risk.

I play guitar and you should see what happens when you accidentally set light to a celluloid thumb pick. Not that many RFC fliers went aloft with a resonator guitar and a Zippo, I expect.