You may have bought an airplane and wish to customize it’s interior parts to your liking. You may also have painted the outside parts of your aircraft and is totally different from the interior parts and wish for them to match. Regardless of the reason behind changing your interior parts of the plane, an aircraft custom interior restoration will offer many years of comfort to you and other passengers, improve the airplane’s value and make flying fun.
Before starting the replacement of the interior parts of the aircraft, carry out ample reaerach since there are loads of options to select from. You can DIY from the beginning, buy an interior kit and do the installation, buy a kit and let a proffesionals do the job or hire a provider to do the whole restoration.
Since you will be handling a certified airplane, it is essential that you know all the regulations. Before the project begins, the decisions you make and the materials you buy must adhere by the FAR guidelines. You must follow the burn and flammability standards of the interior parts of the aircraft. Most of the regulations are identical but will differ according to the kind of aircraft being worked on. I’d you opt to hire a proffesinal to work on the interior parts of your aircraft, make sure that the materials comply with the set laws and that they offer certificates for logbooks.
A DIY of the interior parts of a plane is a very ambitious move but is doable. If you already posses the equippemnt and skills to handle the project, you have what it takes. Buy bulk products like webbing, glues, fabricor cushions from vendors who consider burn certifications and will save so much paperwork, money and time later on in your project. You will have the task of coming up with your unique flying, patterns, sewing, finishing and gluing all parts. Nonetheless, you will be totally in control of the whole project and you will be proud once you finish it satisfactorily.
There are so many vendors supplying interior kits in the marketplace. Before deciding to work with any vendor, read reviews about their support and products. Also, make sure you know the configurations of the aircraft before commencing the restoration process and envision what the final craft should look like. Some options like rear benches, map pockets, headrests and high back seats will come into play after placing the order. Make sure the serial number of the airplane is within reach.
It is advisable that you acquire a sample of the materials from the vendors before ordering larger items. The card will contain samples if carpet, leather, cloth and vinyl and their different textures to choose the one that works for you. I’d the vinyl or leather is very cold during the winter periods and hoe or sticky in summer, you can opt for cloth for the interior parts. A cloth will breathe well though nothing can beat the beauty, durability and feel of leather interiors. Top vendors will assist their clients in coming up with the best and up to date designs and will be candid about what to avoid and what will work. Eventually, the design of the interior including the materials, patterns and colors are entirely dependent on you.
After acquiring the materials, whether handmade or purchased, you will have to start putting them to use. The first stage is disassembling. Remove all the old side panels, headliner, carpet, plastic trim and seat upholstery. Once you replace all the interior parts, the plane will be as good as new.