Patent ID: 7651756

Claim:
An aircraft comprising: a structural skin panel including: at least one metal sheet having a cutout portion and a perimeter portion, said perimeter portion having a plurality of spaced apart perforations formed therein; a first fiber reinforced preform disposed against a first side of the at least one metal sheet to overlay said perimeter portion, the first fiber reinforced preform being comprised of fibers that are generally transparent, the first fiber reinforced preform having dimensions sufficient to cover said cutout portion and to at least substantially cover said perimeter portion; a second fiber reinforced preform disposed against a second side of the at least one metal sheet to thus sandwich said at least one metal sheet between said first and second fiber reinforced preforms; said second fiber reinforced preform being comprised of fibers that are generally transparent, the second fiber reinforced preform having dimensions sufficient to cover said cutout portion and to at least substantially cover said perimeter portion; and an optically transparent resin saturating the first and second fiber reinforced preforms, and filling the perforations in the at least one metal sheet, to form said structural skin panel, with portions of said first and second fiber reinforced preforms that overlay said cutout forming a window portion in said structural skin panel.