Keeping an aircraft cabin cool on the ground is a never ending problem. Wichita-based Lee Aerospace believes its new CoolView replacement windows will become a big part of the answer for a variety of legacy airplanes and a few new ones too. Lee Aerospace CEO Jim Lee said Monday that Cirrus Aircraft liked CoolView windows so much, they’re now standard equipment on the Cirrus Vision Jet after initially trying them as options.
Most importantly, CoolView technology reflects a minimum of 62 percent of the sun’s infrared energy … energy that produces heat. These windows also work wonders on preserving aircraft interiors damaged by the sun. Because the CoolView windows are created by incorporating a metallic barrier within layers, there’s no coating to reapply or to be damaged while cleaning or polishing.
Lee Aerospace CoolCiew windows are already approved for all King Airs, Hawker 125 series and the Dash 8. In the cockpit, CoolViews replace side panel windows on the King Air. Dan Herr, a King Air 350 owner and Lee customer remembered the day he evaluated CoolViews before buying them to replace the Beech originals. “Lee didn’t have a full size window at NBAA a few years ago when I first saw the product,” he said. Herr took a small piece of a CoolView glass outside the Las Vegas convention center and held it between the sun and his hand. “I could feel how much difference it made in blocking the sun and the heat.” Next inspection on his airplane, he replaced all the windows with CoolViews.
Jim Lee said the next aircraft set for CoolView window retrofitting is the Beechjet 400A series although the company is also gathering data on whether to include the Citation CJ series.
