Could we build a plane with a glass bottom?

Plane

Unfortunately, see-through planes are not yet possible. For a 2013 April Fool’s joke, Virgin Atlantic announced the launch of a new glass-bottomed airliner. China’s state news service CCTV missed the joke and reported it as the latest eccentric whim of CEO Richard Branson. The problem is, in a commercial airline, the area beneath the cabin is occupied by luggage, landing gear and critical structural supports, none of which can be sacrificed for an unimpeded view of the scenery below. Besides, unlike a glass-bottomed boat, the view from the sides of a plane is pretty much the same as what you’d see through the floor.

Answered by Dave Roos