While not everyone will have pondered the subject while staring out of the window during a flight, the question as to why aeroplanes have circular windows rather than square ones is interesting.

 

虽然不是每个人都会在飞行中凝视窗外的时候思索一个问题：为什么舷窗是圆形的而不是方形的。但这个问题很有趣。

 

Over the years, aerospace¹ engineering has made huge leaps in aeroplane technology, meaning planes can carry more passengers and go faster. The planes have also changed shape to increase safety – including the windows.

 

In the 1950s, when jetliners were starting to become mainstream², the De Havilland Comet[1] came into fashion. With a pressurized cabin, it was able to go higher and faster than other aircraft.

 

However, the plane had square windows and in 1953 two planes fell apart in the air, killing³ 56 people in total.

 

The reason for the crashes? The windows.

 

Where there's a corner, there's a weak spot. Windows, having four corners, have four potential weak spots, making them likely to crash under stress – such as air pressure.

 

By curving the window, the stress that would eventually crack the window corner is distributed and the likelihood of it breaking is reduced.

点击收听单词发音