OEMs, MROs offer greater cabin comfort while upping utility.
OPERATIONS
In the private jet world of the 21st century, OEMs and modification centers are expanding the boundaries of cabin comfort and utility. “At its basic level, a business jet interior should deliver three things: comfort, productivity and entertainment,” says Alexander Craker, an independent design consultant in Basel, Switzerland. “The manner in which the cabin is able to deliver these will define the passengers' experience. The emphasis that the owners place on these things is always unique to them.” In that regard, Craker says that he not only considers the mission profile, but also those of the aircraft owner, guests and crew to determine what each requires from the interior. “This gives us a lot of insights into how they want the interior to work,” he explains. Tray Crow, director of interior design at Gulfstream Aerospace, reports that today’s customers want to make a seamless transition “from life on the ground to their aircraft. “Gulfstream customers tend to prioritize flexibility and comfort,” says Crow. They want a cabin configuration that can provide the same amenities as their on-ground home and office and spaces that can easily flex from being a workspace in one moment to a dining space the next.”
DUNCAN AVIATION
The trends toward greater cabin comfort and utility are revolutionary. In a manner of speaking, it’s no longer your father’s business jet. OEM attention to passenger seating is illustrative. Seating As an example, Crow says that Gulfstream has invested considerable research and development in seat design with a focus on advanced ergonomics, comfort and flexibility. “We have developed a seating architecture that provides ideal bolstering in high-pressure areas and tested these in-house over hours of simulated experiences,” he says. In fact, for both the G700 and just-announced G800, more subtle changes were made to increase comfort, such as seat controls in the armrest that require minimal movement by the passenger.
BOMBARDIER
Chris Debergh, Bombardier’s vice president of OEM parts and services, cites the business jet manufacturer’s Nuage seat as what it claims to be the first new seating architecture in business aviation in over 30 years. “Designed especially with long flights in mind,” the Nuage seat’s unique deep recline, floating base and tilting headrest offers full ergonomic support, according to Debergh. He notes that the Nuage seat is baseline equipment on all the OEM’s Global series and will be standard on the recently launched Challenger 3500. Another innovation, the Nuage chaise, an option available on the Global 5500 and Global 6500, is a lounge chair that is convertible to a flat surface for sleeping or a table for banquet-style dining. Among the more popular requests, says Debergh, is softer cabin carpeting “to make walking barefoot on the plane a more comfortable and luxurious experience,” along with heated flooring, upgraded mattresses and other sleeping surfaces, and larger lavatory and personal areas. Lighting “Mood lighting is also becoming increasingly important, especially on long-range business jets, which often transit multiple time zones” Debergh notes. He points out that Bombardier’s Soleil Lighting System, which is standard on the Global 7500, “reproduces the full range of natural, cooler light temperatures” associated with mornings, and the warmer light temperatures associated with later hours. It has also been designed to adjust for the seasonality effect of daylight based on the precise date and location of the aircraft, altering the sunrise, midday, dusk and sunset lighting, as well as the color and intensity throughout the journey.
PWI
“Soleil’s Dynamic Daylight Simulation mode is calibrated automatically thanks to its integration with the avionics suite in the Bombardier Vision flightdeck. The algorithm utilizes departure and arrival information from the flight management system, or alternatively via manual inputs by the cabin crew,” Deberge explains. “The synchronization process between a passenger’s circadian rhythm and the lighting environment can be felt in as little as 15 min. and increases in effectiveness with time, making it ideally suited for long-distance flights.” LED (light emitting diode) is another coming technology in cabin lighting, replacing power-hungry, heavier fluorescent systems. With LED technology advancing to become more compact, efficient and at a lower cost, the mood lighting products have shown increased demand from operators, according to Matt Opisso, director of business development and strategy at Collins Aerospace. “Linefit and retrofit options have grown to the point that these will become more commonplace in both AC- and DC-powered lighting systems,” he states. “Similar to the latest generation of automobiles that have unique lighting schemes and more lighting functionality, it’s possible that aircraft passengers will have a similar experience as part of a standard-equipped cabin.” New LED installations involve the removal of all hardware fixtures, power supplies and lights, while retaining the existing factory-installed aircraft wiring, says Eric Dahlinger, sales manager of lighting specialist PWI in Wichita. PWI, he notes, is concluding the testing phase of its own LED systems, with FAA approval expected by the end of 2021. LEDs provide a white light, which refreshes the appearance of an older interior originally illuminated by incandescent bulbs that added a yellow tint to cabin surfaces. This often remains unnoticed until the new LED lights are installed, says Dahligner. “Then, the difference becomes markedly apparent. LED cabin lights also preserve the interior designer’s intention and color palette,” he remarks. Dahlinger adds that because the passenger experience “should be the foremost consideration in cabin lighting design,” lighting controls should be almost intuitive to use and the lighting, itself, projected where needed without constant adjustment or a struggle to get it “just right” for reading or using a mobile device. “Along with that, cabin lighting in monuments--the lavatory and galley--as well as the cargo areas often receives less design attention, which can be a missed opportunity,” he says. “Those areas are passenger contact points and help complete the cabin lighting experience.” Bigorre Aerospace Corp. has taken the LED concept further by integrating it with Clematis, its proprietary cabin management system (CMS). Clematis is currently the only single-unit CMS and LED lighting product for business aircraft application, according to Louis Verdu, the company’s Florida-based sales manager. In its CMS function, Climatis, enables a passenger to control onboard appliances, such as lighting, window shades, flight entertainment devices and coffee makers, from any location within the cabin using a tablet or smartphone, through Wi-Fi connection to a remote website. “More business jet operators are requesting full lighting and cabin management systems because of the comfort and convenience they afford,” says Verdu, who adds that as a combined unit, Climatis gives customers the advantage of dealing with a single supplier for both the CMS and LED lighting. “This avoids all the issues of dealing with separate suppliers, with respect to integrating the cabin management and lighting systems Connectivity In tandem with comfort trends, there is a growing emphasis on the business jet cabin as a workstation. “Comfort is a given. The office-in-the-sky with the capability to do what you can on the ground is the high priority now,” says Russ Meyer, chairman of CitationPartners in Wichita. “More information capability is being added to business jet cabins, and we expect to see that much more as improvements continue to evolve. And it won’t be just on large jets.” Paul Rose, vice president, technical sales for Banyan Air Service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, agrees. “With the introduction of the LEO [low Earth orbit] and MEO [medium Earth orbit] satellite constellations, the market is opening to many of the smaller business jets that previously did not have the real estate that a Ka- or Ku-band system required due to the antenna size,” he notes. “The release of ‘Iridium Next’ into LEO allows for truly worldwide communications for the business traveler.” According to Rose, the gold standard for connectivity continues to be those Inmarsat systems that allow global voice, data and streaming such as Ka and Ku. Along that line, he says that the Gogo Avance series (L3, L5) Wi-Fi systems are extremely popular. “The Gogo systems, which allow high-speed voice, data and streaming video services, are designed to work in the continental U.S., use terrestrial [ground-based] towers, and seamlessly integrate with the Inmarsat and Iridium systems,” Rose points out. He explains that a business traveler can use the Gogo system while in the U.S., taking advantage of a lower cost data rate. When the aircraft travels outside of the coverage area, Gogo will “hand off” the coverage to the worldwide system. Rose adds that Banyan Air Service is “a world leader in the installation of both the Gogo L3/L5 and Inmarsat/Iridium systems.” The company is in the final stages of obtaining an STC on the HondaJet HA-420 for the Gogo Avance L3 system. Adam Bruce, completions sales representative for Duncan Aviation in Battle Creek, Michigan, also reports that the MRO is getting more requests for Wi-Fi installations, even though some technology limitations remain. “Technology is racing to provide ground-based applications to aviation. Right now, we can support streaming services, but not to the point of 5G speeds,” he cautions. Bruce says that over the past few years, new options for interior completions have also emerged. He cites a greater use of perforated leather, which does not have the heat retention of conventional leather upholstery. “That’s a nice option, because it makes the seat more comfortable, especially on longer flights,” he explains. “Customized leather, which has been used in cars, has caught up to aviation. We are, in fact, seeing more of our customers leaning toward replacements of soft goods--carpeting, seating and sidewall coverings instead of total interior refurbishments. For wood trim, the industry is going in the direction of hydro-dipping and vinyl wrapping as an economical alternative to stripping and refinishing.” In tandem with that, Bruce cites more of a focus on installation of at-seat charging ports, along with connectivity for personal devices with the CMS. “Customers want to get away from high-definition monitors, for which there is noticeably less demand,” he states. Cabin Disinfectants The pandemic has impacted the design of consumer products and the transportation and hospitality industries, so expect it to affect cabin interiors, too, says design consultant Alexander Craker. Much of that appears to be concentrated on cabin air purification systems. Banyan’s Rose cites portable, hand-held ultraviolet lighting systems that can be used on the ground. “Then, there is the permanent solution that involves installing single or multiple devices that use ion distribution systems to create negative and positive ions from hydrogen and oxygen molecules in the aircraft to increase air quality, destroy airborne pathogens--including the SARS-cOv-2 and COVID-19 virus--as well as remove odors and sterilize mold and bacteria,” he notes. “Installations are typically performed by a modification center, and there are several vendors today with airborne products that are FAA approved.” One example is Aviation Clean Air’s (ACA) eponymous system, which is installed in the aircraft’s environmental control system. Designed by the Pooler, Georgia, company, the system neutralizes airborne pathogens by severing the hydrogen bond on their skin. “By severing that bond, the pathogen is completely neutralized and disabled from replicating itself, so it is no longer infectious,” explains Jonathan Saltman, an ACA owner. At the same time, he says, the technology eliminates odors and certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can enter the cabin from the bleed-air system. Saltman points out that since it purifies the air, the ACA system especially benefits those passengers with respiratory ailments, such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. “It definitely enhances comfort on a long flight, so passengers arrive at their destinations much more refreshed due to the air quality the system brings about,” he says. ACA and its MRO and OEM partners have more than 50 STCs for installations on business and commercial jets--with more being added. “There has been a greatly increased awareness of the technology, and amount of interest” due to the COVID pandemic,” says Saltman.
