Method and apparatus for making a polymeric aircraft window panel

A mold for casting, from a polymer precursor liquid, a polymeric aircraft window panel, the panel comprising a central viewing portion having a curved first and/or second surface and a peripheral edge shaped for engagement with a framework of an aircraft to hold the aircraft window panel in place during operation of the aircraft, the mold comprising:

• a first mold half comprising a first mold surface;
• a second mold half comprising a second mold surface;
• a glass liner removably located over the first mold surface and/or the second mold surface, and
• at least one shaped gasket comprising (i) an inner end positioned between a peripheral edge of the first mold half and a peripheral edge of the second mold half and (ii) an outer end positioned outward from the peripheral edges of the mold halves, the inner end comprising a rabbited or stepped surface shaped to form a rabbited or stepped edge for at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the panel,
• wherein the first mold surface and/or the second mold surface are capable of conforming to a final shape for opposed major surfaces of the aircraft window panel including the central viewing portion and the peripheral edge of the panel, and
• wherein an outwardly facing surface of the glass liner has a shape complementary to a shape of the first mold surface or the second mold surface.