By Adam Doyle – Paint and Interior Sales Manager for Elliott Aviation
When modifying an aircraft to meet your mission, many factors must be considered. Recently, a customer requested their Hawker 800XP be retrofitted to a double club when it is currently designed with a standard divan. Though it may sound easy, this modification is anything but simple and includes a list of items that need to be addressed, determining the possible solutions.
In this case, the floor plan requested was not available for the Hawker 800XP due to safety regulations. Though this option was impossible, the next best option is to add seven cabin seats instead of the eight. Eliminating a seating position when opting for seven over eight cabin seats allows for an upgrade to either a cabin seat with a cabinet or even a full berthing seat.
Although possible, changing the floor plan of the Hawker 800XP from a standard divan to seven cabin club seating is a significant amount of work. However, the average retrofit of this caliber may cost less than you might think. Each modification is specific in need, and pricing will vary due to the number of parts and work needed to complete each retrofit.
Since there is no STC for the Hawker 800XP with a double club configuration, an STC will be required before the modification can be done. Next, proper burn documentation will be needed for all interior mods to be included in an 8110 package before the aircraft can be released.
Adding the new seating will affect many things. The left aft closet and the divan will have to be removed to make room for the new seating. By doing this, new up-wash lighting will be needed along with modifications to the headliner, window, lower cabin panels, and carpet since they are currently not there where the closet and divan once were. The headliner, window, and lower cabin panels will have to be extended, while the carpet will have to be patched or replaced.
Changing the seating positions also affects the oxygen requirements. If the O2 boxes are positioned incorrectly for the new arrangement, they will have to be moved, and in most aircraft, the masks are out of date or deteriorating, which will require replacement. By moving boxes, the headliner will then need to be modified or unfurnished to accommodate the new box placements.
The lav door operation will be affected and will only open a third of the way due to binding against the seat’s inboard armrest. The only option is to change the door style to accommodate the door movement.
When adding the new cabin seats, the new frames must match the original frames. If matching frames are unavailable, purchasing all new frames is the next option.
Additionally, new card tables will need to be constructed, as they were not originally there. If the aircraft has existing front card tables, the process can be smoother. It is possible to reconstruct new aft card table structures based on the original front under the stipulation that the floor plan is approved. If the aircraft does not have any existing card tables, an STC must be obtained for a newly approved floor plan.
Once having approval for the card tables, modification or refurbishment of drink rails will be needed since the closet and the divan covered where they would typically be. Also, the relocation of the cabin switches, phones, and new outlets to match the rest of the aircraft will be needed. Lastly, if there are existing tables, plated accents from the front will need to match the new aft tables if they are available.
There will be further choices to consider when doing the Hawker 800XP retrofit to meet your mission. The above describes a small number of them that will arise with this type of modification of a standard divan to double club retrofit. Modifications can be done, but proper information is needed to do it. A simple modification may seem easy, but nothing is simple in aviation.
The best time to do any modification is when a major evaluation is scheduled. This timing would allow the aircraft to be modified simultaneously instead of grounding the aircraft at two different times. A down aircraft could result in upwards of $1K/day loss in revenue. We strive to maximize evaluation, maintenance, and modification schedules and minimize downtime. Instead of an aircraft being down for eight or more weeks, maximizing the schedule for both the evaluation and the modifications to a possible six weeks is essential.
What may seem like a simple modification can be incredibly complex. Remember to think about having all the proper information before starting a modification. Think about what the retrofit could affect and if the floor plan is approved, the most cost-effective option, when and how long the downtime is, and finally, would it be better to sell the current aircraft and purchase another with the desired floor plan.
Adam Doyle joined Elliott Aviation in 2000 as an interior technician after graduating from Wyoming Technical Institute. While at Elliott Aviation, Adam has earned many different promotions on the shop floor, including Install Team Lead, Soft Goods Team Lead, Assistant Interior Shop Manager, and Seat Shop Manager. Adam’s most recent promotion has been to Paint and Interior Sales Representative for Elliott Aviation. He uses his experience with various vendors, products, and processes to educate our clients by providing direction and helping plan for future investment with realistic and accurate figures.