Race Car Innovation to Aid Chopper Pilots' Vision in Iraq

[seriousstan]

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) - A protective windshield coating that improves visibility for NASCAR drivers is getting a new application on the windshields of U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters flying combat missions over Iraq.
The clear plastic film, which race teams have been using for several years to keep flying debris from ruining drivers' view, was pioneered by Pro-Tint Inc., a 14-person company based in a small building in the heart of racing country.

Pro-Tint pioneered tear-away windshield film for racing teams in the late 1990s. The multilayer product is now used by virtually all Nextel Cup teams to protect windshields from small rocks, car parts and other debris that can reduce vision on a speedway.

Instead of replacing a scratched and pitted windshield, race teams merely peel off a layer of the protective film to reveal a new, clear layer of film underneath.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBY1GZ1V3E.html