AMT_April-May2021 - 26

TECH SPOTL IGHT

It's all about getting to know clients, including their likes, dislikes and
preferred styles, said Constant Aviation's Brocklehurst. Multipurpose
aircraft interiors will be the next big thing. Most private aircraft are
single-purpose-driven, but the pandemic is changing all of that.
CONSTANT AVIATION

will be used for private, personal or corporate trips and who will travel on the aircraft.
" Once we have this information, we are
better equipped to guide the customer in
the right direction for material selection
and placement, " she said, adding that the
next steps typically involve an aircraft
walkthrough, in-person meeting at the
company's design center or a zoom call.

Brocklehurst emphasizes that it is all
about getting to know clients, including their
likes, dislikes and preferred styles. " Based
on our conversations and any other input
the client can provide - pictures, examples
from movies and such - our designers come
up with options to present, " she said. " From
there, we work back and forth with the client
to achieve the agreed-upon vision. "

Why Buy New When a Simple Upgrade
Hits the Mark?
Based in Clinton, MO, Aviation Fabricators - or AvFab - is a Federal Aviation
Administration-Parts Manufacture Approval (FAA-PMA) facility specializing in
the design and production of interior products for general aviation, corporate,
special missions and commuter aircraft. While AvFab's core business focuses
on serving the turboprop aircraft market, the company also has some unique
solutions to transform the interiors of business jets.
" With the pandemic, nobody knew what the valuation of airplanes was going
to be until the situation played out, " said Jeff Lowe, president of AvFab. " So,
instead of looking to purchase a new plane, people were simply looking to
upgrade the plane they already had. "
For those who might otherwise be in the market for a slightly larger
aircraft, AvFab offers just the solution: a two-place divan. " With this particular
modification, we simply replace one seat with the two-place divan, which is
side-facing and structured like a couch, " said Lowe. " The airplane loses weight
and you have a net gain of one passenger. Plus, it makes it easy to get in and out
of the cockpit. "

APRIL/MAY 2021

Technical Considerations
According to Ross, one of the biggest priorities of jet owners today is having quality in-flight connectivity. " This is a huge
upgrade that everybody is taking advantage
of now, especially with Wi-Fi connectivity, "
he said. " People love to use their personal
electronic devices. "
Van der Meer agrees. " We have put in
amazingly high-speed Internet systems for
Wi-Fi - brand new technology - and that
has been very important, " he said.
According to Welch, new, high-end lighting systems are increasingly popular with
jet owners as well. " We are doing a lot of
LED lighting to create a nice ambiance inflight, " she said.
Designers also have to consider the
durability of the materials they select. " The
veneers on these jets can crack because of
the extreme temperature changes, " said van
der Meer. " So, we have pioneered a special
material to cover all the bulkheads that
replicates wood. "
There are safety considerations as well.
" Everything that goes into an airplane has
to be flame tested and treated and certified
by the industry, " said Welch.

A Team Effort
Pulling all the design and functional elements together for customers is a complex
challenge. " This is definitely a very skilled

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

AMT_April-May2021

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