The Key Reason Fighter Jet Canopies Aren't Bulletproof
Story by Jonathan H. Kantor • 14h
If you've ever watched a movie like "Top Gun" or anything featuring modern fighter jets, you might ask yourself, 'Why don't they make those canopies bulletproof?" It's a good question, because it's not as if the technology doesn't exist. But that doesn't change the fact that fighter jet canopies, and the fighters themselves, aren't armored. There are several reasons why defense contractors don't armor their fighters' canopies, but first and foremost is weight.
It takes a great deal of energy to power something like the F-35 Lightning II's impressive turbofan engine, and it requires a ton of fuel. When it comes to armoring aircraft, there are tradeoffs — do you want your fighter pilot protected as much as possible while forgoing the ability to reach the desired speeds, or would you rather have the most agile fighter jets in the world that can pull off aerial maneuvers to keep pilots as safe as possible? The folks who buy fighter jets have leaned heavily into the latter, so you won't find a bulletproof canopy on an F-15 Eagle, a MiG-35, or a Chengdu J-20.
Bulletproofing also would reduce visibility, which is the last thing you want in a fighter jet's canopy. They're designed with composite materials to be strong, heat-resistant, and, above all else, fully transparent. When bulletproof glass is hit, it becomes opaque in a large area where the bullet made contact, significantly reducing visibility and the ability for the pilot to safely fly the plane.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-key-reason-fighter-jet-canopies-aren-t-bulletproof/ar-AA1JNuhf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=688f5f2ccdec4fe1a990b7cea95911e2&ei=35
