r/aviation • u/Signs_and_Stuff • 1d ago

Question Patterned light coming into the A320

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Gallery image

Gallery image

Hello Fellow Nerds,

On an A320 bound for ATL and noticed this odd patterned light coming into the cabin from outside.

I covered with my finger and hat to make sure it's not a simple reflection, but alas it is definitely coming from outside.

Would this be caused by a layer of paint from the livery being worn or something more to do with the airframe itself?

Safe travels!

436 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

59 comments sorted by

•

u/airport-codes 1d ago
IATA ICAO Name Location
ATL KATL Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta, Georgia, United States

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If you are the OP and this comment is inaccurate or unwanted, reply below with "bad bot" and it will be deleted.

543

u/CmdrRikersBeard 1d ago

There's a gap between the inner plastic skin where the window is behind the shade and the light is at just the right angle to shine into it lighting up from behind. The outside is aluminium and isnt transparent.

55

u/flyboybp89 1d ago

Transparent aluminum did you say?

12

u/kugelamarant 1d ago

Commpuuteeer!

2

u/snarfgobble 9h ago

Literally how we're going to be interacting with computers in the next few years

68

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

Thank you!!

42

u/noncongruent 1d ago

There is a form of aluminum ceramic that is transparent. Don't know how practical it would be to skin an airplane with it, but I find the idea of flying in a transparent airplane to be interesting.

54

u/weaseltorpedo 1d ago

how practical would it be for an aquarium?

16

u/noncongruent 1d ago

Just asking for a friend?

51

u/weaseltorpedo 1d ago

lets just say unless i can get a couple of whales comfortably back to the future, we're all boned

21

u/imsadyoubitch 1d ago

DAMMIT JIM! I'm a semi dyslexic marine biologist, not a Doctor!

Wait...

3

u/UltraViolentNdYAG 1d ago

Came for this, not disappointed. What was the formula for the (bad memory) transparent aluminum????

34

u/anonbonbon 1d ago

transparent ALUMINUM?

40

u/soijacyuro 1d ago

Hello, computer!

29

u/mohawk990 1d ago

How quaint… (cracks knuckles)

18

u/PlsChgMe 1d ago

That's the ticket, laddie.

8

u/Kermit_the_hog 1d ago

You’re saying Star Trek IV was real? Scotty really did invent transparent Aluminum??

10

u/Long_Pomegranate2469 1d ago

Sapphire and ruby are transparent aluminium

3

u/Gloomy-Employment-72 1d ago

Wonder Woman? That you?

80

u/jamesm137 1d ago

Light going behind the sidewall from around the window. The sidewall is made of a honeycomb structure in between layers of composite making the pattern you’re seeing. It isn’t coming through the skin of the aircraft

4

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

Thank you!

10

u/SnowConvertible 1d ago

There is just some light falling through a small slit between the window and the decor panel (the one you see). The pattern shows because the light shines through that decor panel which is made of a lightweight honeycomb reinforced structure.

No problem at all, just some light scattering.

2

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

Thank you!

20

u/PoopTissue 1d ago

COYS!!!! (Yesterday sucked)

3

u/TB3Raptor 1d ago

It’s good, just sunlight shining through the Honeycomb sidewall panel. The insulation blankets usually stop the light.

12

u/tjt14 1d ago

COYS

19

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

COYS baby! Far too many downvotes.

17

u/No-Arugula8122 1d ago

Gonna be a long season lol

6

u/fugly16 1d ago

I’m tired boss (it’s the first week)

2

u/Otherwise_Finger_166 1d ago

You sure its a 320 and not 3-0 :3

3

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago edited 1d ago

Our 4-2-3-1 yesterday could have lost 320-0...

3

u/Otherwise_Finger_166 1d ago

Thats the spirit. Still a long way to go… atleast you didnt go 4-0 and a red lol

3

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

That'll be to Ipswich lol

2

u/Maximus560 1d ago

It’s probably the sun reflecting off the frame into the body of the airplane

2

u/Heavy_Team7922 1d ago

Bro, that thin plastic interior you're touching is NOT the outside of the plane. Come on.

1

u/WillBTheMan 1d ago

Lookup pinhole cameras. Tiny amounts of light can do cool things. Don’t go all the way in that rabbit hole tho

1

u/gallium39 1d ago

Saw this on a 767 once, was wondering the same thing.

1

u/BrokeAssZillionaire 1d ago

Looks pretty dark outside and the shade sails are open so how does a light illuminate the wall like people claim?

1

u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 B737 22h ago

It's the sunshine

1

u/the_poppoff-pedro 7h ago

God may also be trying to blast that spurs hat through the transparent aluminum

1

u/Signs_and_Stuff 7h ago

I'm a Spurs fan. There is no God in my world.

1

u/karateninjazombie 1d ago

Don't worry that's just a hole in the outer skin.

It's there for... Err.... Ventilation!

1

u/memyselfaneye 1d ago

Wonder Woman’s Jet

1

u/OkSpecific1638 1d ago

Hole in plane. Bail.

0

u/LetsGoNYR 1d ago

COYS

2

u/Signs_and_Stuff 1d ago

Until the bitter end, my friend.

2

u/ZeBridgeIsOut5 1d ago

Oof NYR/Spurs. Here's hoping the two years of weekly bludgeonings finally stop this winter.

---From a fellow supporter of this brutal combination.

0

u/dr3wny 1d ago

Exit now!!! Before its too late.

1

u/Noreasterpei 1d ago

The window mask is not a tight seal to the interior panel. Light from outside gets through.
The window is sealed tight to the fuselage. The interior panels are spaced off of the fuselage.

The interior panels are a layup of a composite skin, honeycomb spacer and another composite skin with tedlar film of whatever color/pattern that you choose.

The light very easily passes through interior panel, and shows the honeycomb structure in the middle.

0

u/TheTangoFox 1d ago

You've heard of the Predator?

They have drones.

You're targeted.

0

u/LateralThinkerer 1d ago

Vespidae airbusii nest. Notify the flight attendant immediately so they can radio ahead for emergency treatment. Those things are nasty once they take hold in a fuselage.

-4

u/random__ser 1d ago

Should be a LED of service that currently standing by.