A glass sheet used in the making of an aircraft windshield is shaped using the “cut-to-size” method instead of the “out-after-bend” method. In a preferred aspect of the invention the “cut-to-size” method is practiced using a bending iron having a sheet shaping rail having a stationary shaping rail portion mounted on a support member and an articulating shaping rail portion pivotally mounted on the support member for movement from a non-shaping position to a shaping position.