For Brent Regan, et al.

Appreciate any thoughts you might have on replacing a cracked windshield.  My plane suffered a departure accident in 2003 where the gear folded  at roughly 65 knots.  The impact was pretty severe.  In addition to the damage you would normally expect, the horizontal brace behind the firewall inside the nose wheel well, was cracked and had to be replaced along with the engine mount, gear, etc.   However the crack in the windshield (directly above the horizontal brace) didnt appear until 2008.  The crack extends straight up the windshield for 5 inches and has not propagated ( with many hours of unpressurized flight) although several small cracks (less than 1 inch) have appeared around the lower edge of the windshield.  There has been some speculation that after trimming,   the edges of the windshield might not have been sanded sufficiently.  I installed the windshield back in 1994 and really cant remember all the little details.

After the extensive discussion on replacing the side window from the outside, I'm wondering if it might be possible to replace the windshield from the outside;  and especially what the tradeoffs might be?


Your input would really be appreciated.

Thanks, Bill Hogarty