Diamond shaped window for composite and/or metallic airframe

An aircraft fuselage, comprising:

• a side region including a skin formed of composite material having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix;
• a first cutout and a second cutout formed in the side region in side-by-side relation to one another, at least one of the first and second cutouts having a side segment;
• the fuselage being subject to a bending moment generating a shear load in the side region and a cabin pressurization load generating a hoop tension load in the side region;
• the side segment being oriented substantially parallel to a direct load path of a resultant of the shear load and the hoop tension load;
• the side segment being oriented generally parallel to the direct load path;
• at least a portion of the fibers being oriented generally parallel to the side segment and extending continuously from the lower portion under the first cutout to the upper portion over the second cutout.

An aircraft fuselage, comprising:

• a barrel section having at least one side panel, the side panel including a skin formed of composite material having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix;
• a first cutout and a second cutout formed in the side panel in side-by-side relation to one another;
• a direct load path extending along the barrel section, the load path extending substantially continuously from a lower portion of the side panel generally under the first cutout to an upper portion of the side panel generally over the second cutout;
• and
• the first and second cutouts each having a general diamond shape including a side segment oriented generally parallel to the direct load path;
• at least a portion of the fibers being oriented generally parallel to the side segment and extending continuously from the lower portion under the first cutout to the upper portion over the second cutout.

An aircraft fuselage, comprising:

• a barrel section having a longitudinal axis and a skin formed of composite material having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix, the barrel section including a first cutout and a second cutout arranged in side-by-side relation to one another;
• a direct load path extending substantially continuously from a lower portion of the barrel section generally under the first cutout to an upper portion of the barrel section generally over the second cutout;
• the first and second cutouts having a general diamond shape defining a major axis oriented non-parallel to the longitudinal axis, at least one of the diamond shapes having at least one of a curved side segment and a rounded side;
• at least a portion of the fibers being oriented generally parallel to the direct load path and extending continuously along a spiral direction from the lower portion under the first cutout to the upper portion over the second cutout.