accept to rethink what they are doing; they bring a great contribution to our cabins,” ACJC’s CEO Benoît Defforge explained. The ACJC has a lot of suppliers in common with Dassault Falcon.
Last, but not least, in the touted dif-
ferentiators is an ability to offer the latest technologies. “We equipped the first opera- tional ACJ320 with Airbus’ GSM onboard,” a spokesperson said. Full high-definition displays are now available. iPad control of the cabin’s lighting, temperature and in-flight entertainment will soon be available. So how do you install the components of a VIP cabin in a narrowbody airliner that offers some 900 square feet of floor surface? First, you remove some parts of the former cabin (even though the aircraft is a new one). Second, small structural parts such as rails are added to the frames and stringers to support specific equipment. Next, you take care of systems such as water and electric power. The ACJC usually adds one water tank – a shower is common- place in a VIP aircraft. Moving to electricity, head of industry Eric Belloc counted more than 15 statute miles of wiring. Simultaneously, a three-layer soundproof- ing (that acts as thermal insulation as well) is fitted to the fuselage’s interior. According to Belloc, this brings noise levels down from the usual 65 dB in airline configuration to a typical 50 dB in ACJC products. “For the customer, the two priorities are range and noise,” Belloc asserted. Then comes the furniture. “We begin with the partition walls and the taller pieces of furniture,” Belloc explained. These include, for example, the video and communications center and bathroom components. Next in line are the smaller pieces of furniture such as credenzas. Tables and seats come after. Finally, carpets are fitted as late as possible. Despite all the protection films, walking on the carpets could damage them. Before the delivery takes place, the
aircraft has to fly three times with its new interior. Pilots are hired from parent company Airbus. The first flight is a so-called “safety flight,” with just the two pilots on board. The second flight, to finalize certification, is the opportunity to check that all systems work. The “customer flight” is the final one before the aircraft is actually handed over.
An optional “customer support resident”
is offered to ensure a smooth entry into service. In this quite original job, an ACJC engineer is on board the first customer flights. He thus helps with systems etc. This comes in addition to flight attendant training in Toulouse.
VIPMaintenance
Another claimed benefit from being an Airbus subsidiary is in maintenance package offers. The so-called VIP Pass is a by-the-hour contract that can cover the aircraft nose-to-tail. “Dealing with the engine manufacturer, we get better deals for engine maintenance than the customer would,” Jérôme Ferasin, service sales director, said. He pointed out most VIP aircraft operators simply do not have the human resources to take care of all the aspects of maintenance.
An Airbus ACJ319/ACJ320 cabin in numbers
Typical cabin price: $20 to 30 million Typical number of seats: 19 Floor surface: 900 square feet Hours flown per year: 200 to 1,000
In cabin design, Mariat tries to marry
ergonomics with a relatively uncluttered and streamlined style. An important tool he uses in his relationship with the customer is computer-generated renderings. Although they are still images, they are incredibly realistic. The rendering of leather, for instance, equals that of photography. The downside is that these images take a long time to create and Mariat does not cover the entire aircraft interior with them. The technical representative of the cus-
tomer, still, is provided with more technical images. Also, the ACJC’s design team asks for the principal’s measurements. As a result, when he or she is seated in the cabin’s top seat, the cabin environment controls (in- flight entertainment, lighting etc.) on the armrest naturally fall under his/her hand. One illustration of Mariat’s philosophy can be found in the way he designed one “firm-and-hold” handle. Regulations call for a certain number of such handles to be installed throughout the cabin, in case a passenger finds himself walking amidst turbulence. One of these handles was to be positioned in a corridor, at a place where Mariat deemed it unaesthetic. He has created a very sober, thick, black frame and is planning on fitting it on to the wall, at the required place. The frame does not look like a handle – it seems to be just an element of decor, with a crystal objet d’art in the middle of it. Yet, the frame is strong enough to act as a handle. Mariat compared his job to those of fine watch design and haute couture. He has designed two in-service cabins so far and is working on another two. The first one entered service with China-based Deer Jet. Outfitting an A319 or an A320 takes
30 Aviation Maintenance |
avm-mag.com | February / March 2012
generally between 16 and 18 months. The first of the four, more-or-less equal parts of the cycle is creative design. Then comes furniture detailed design, a stage when weight predictions are refined. “We commit on weight quite early,” Mariat insisted. The third part sees, in parallel, furniture manufacturing and the aircraft’s preparation work (the aforementioned installation of wires, water tank etc.). Finally, the furniture and other components are fitted into the cabin. The ACJC is now producing four cabins
per year, up from three until recently. The CEO believes the new rate is to be kept steady. The 100,000 square feet of hangars, on the site of former EADS subsidiary Sogerma, give a capacity of six aircraft. The workforce stands at 215, up from 115 in 2007 and close to Defforge’s ultimate target, in the 240-250 bracket. He also emphasized the estimated 250 indirect jobs his company has created in France’s southwest. In total, the ACJC has outfitted eight
green ACJs so far. These are three ACJ320s and five ACJ319s. This does not include refurbishments. The backlog is said to ensure production until late 2013. One of the rare customers being named is Aviation Link Company of Saudi Arabia. In addition to the cabin outfitting of new
aircraft, the ACJC offers refurbishments and upgrades. In that instance, the company offers maintenance checks in parallel to take advan- tage of the downtime. Such operations are also offered on the A330/A340 widebodies. ACJC people are well aware the way they do their job has an influence on their parent company’s image. As Galzin put it, “our cus- tomers are very demanding, of course, but their requirements are not the same as those of an airline; an out-of-order seat can cause an AOG (aircraft on ground) situation.” AM
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