Lightweight, thin stone flooring, like the granite shown here, is a pricy but durable and attractive option.
New Technologies Help Lighten the Load While the larger available interior spaces and seemingly bottomless budgets of some customers keep pushing the boundaries of what interior designers stuff into larger aircraft, there have been a number of new products introduced that have helped swing the scales back into the favor of the MROs. “The backing materials used in today’s veneers is much
thinner [lighter] today than it used to be,” Ms. Pompa said. “It used to be four-ply and now it’s two-ply. The new backing is a lot stronger so you don’t need the thickness.” “Another thing today are composites for interior panels,” she
added. “We tend to use higher-end materials like Aramid fiber composites – carbon fiber in strategic areas now. If we do all new shell panels, we can save weight and give better sound deadening.” While saving weight is important, finding new products and
finishes that make a multi-million dollar jet look like every penny of it is an ongoing challenge. One such new product is a new lightweight stone flooring material developed List Components & Furniture GmbH. Flying Colours is the exclusive North American center for the materials. “It’s very thin granite stone flooring that’s popular in entry
areas, galleys and lavs,” Gillespie said. “High wear, high moisture areas. We’ve installed it in a couple of aircraft already – a Global and a Challenger. It’s very popular in Europe now.” “It’s a luxury option. Pricy compared to standard carpeting or
other materials you typically use in those areas,” he added. “But it’s very maintenance friendly and will last a long time.” Another very important part of any aircraft –especially long-
range jets is the lavatory. And corrosion has been a major issue with these areas since the invention of the relief tube. “One big improvement we can offer is a new lav overboard waste system that is made of composites,” Ms. Pompa said. “Now there are no problems with corrosion to deal with. It’s a very popular upgrade now from a maintenance perspective.”
The Long Term Look Upgrades and refurbishing is hot now, but what does the future look like. Well, according to the folks we talked to it look pretty darn good. “Obviously, everyone is waiting for the prices of used aircraft to stabilize,” Gillespie said. “But I think prices will stabilize and this type of work will continue to grow.” “China, Asia, India, and Russia continue to grow,” he said.
“Most of these buyers are new to aircraft ownership and buying new airplanes. But give it five years or so and they’ll see the value of buying used airplanes. That will really drive a big requirement for refurbishing.” AM
28 Aviation Maintenance |
avmain-mag.com | October / November 2011
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