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PHOTOS COURTESY OF AVFAB
Before and After. A King Air receives AvFab’s pleated window shades, an arm ledge table system, ClearView headrests and more.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DUNCAN AVIATION
What’s New? Leather materials that look like fabrics but are more resistant to wear and stains. Hydrodipping (right) – a cost-effective way to change the look of any hardgoods.
Start with a Clear Goal
When it comes to cabin upgrades, you can put them into two basic catego- ries: One is an inexpensive, clean, and brush-up of the soft and hard surfaces to aid in an upcoming sale. The second is someone who is planning on keeping the aircraft for a long while. While the two may be different, their goals are not mutually exclusive.
“We need to start with what they want to accomplish. Are they a pri- vate owner, flight department, or a Part 135 (charter) operator? Each has its own needs,” Angie Coleman, Duncan Aviation senior completions and modifications sales representative, said. “They all want style and comfort, but a Part 135 operator will want more durable, easy-to-clean materials be- cause of their frequent flights.”
That being said, no matter who’s back there, nobody wants to spend hours sitting in a cabin that looks
14 • TWIN & TURBINE / April 2021
old – well, not unless they’re in a Staggerwing.
“Our experience has been that mods that update the appearance to more closely replicate the look of a new production aircraft are best,” stated Jeff Lowe, president, Aircraft Fabricators (AvFAB). “Many times, the guy writing the check is sitting in the main cabin, so he’ll un- derstand the benefits of modernizing the cabin.”
“Most customers today are looking to upgrade seats from the older round- ed contours to a more contemporary squared-off look. It’s very clean,” Cole- man said. “We’re also finding owners wanting to get away from the large, poofy headrests to get a cleaner look. New Citation and King Air cabins are good examples. That’s the look they want.”
Another point to consider is what you don’t currently like about your cabin. Are the seats uncomfortable?
Does it lack storage? What do you need that it doesn’t provide?
“There’s a reason that you want to upgrade the interior in the first place. Is it dirty, smelly, or just worn out? Or, maybe you just don’t like the look of it anymore. There’s al- ways a reason for an owner to spend money,” said Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems Regional Sales Manager John Walker. “Look at all the components. If you want to recover the seats, how do the sidewalls look? How about the headliners? How’s the woodwork looking? There was some ugly stuff used in the 1980s in King Airs and Citations – somebody liked it back then, but not now,” he added. “And, if you’re looking to put it on charter, you need some kind of connectivity or texting capability onboard. In today’s world, no one will charter the airplane if it doesn’t have it.”
According to Meghan Welch, di- rector of paint and interior sales for