FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0139.PDF
fl IGHT International, 25 January 1962 A plastics laminate that has been widely adopted in British airliners for both func- tional and decorative applications is Warerite, made by Bakelite Ltd, 12-18 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1. In its decorative role it appears as bulkhead facings, either off-the-peg or specially designed for a particular aircraft, as for instance on the Comet 4Cs supplied to Middle East Airlines, where a bulkhead panel depicts various facets of Middle East lite—architecture, oil rigs, shipping, and so on (illustration, page 133). Functional applications of Warerite appear as work tops and cupboard facings in galley units and washrooms. Evidence of the unceasing quest for improved furnishing materials of high strength/weight ratio is the fact that five distinct types of Plasticell are now marketed bv Microcell Ltd (a subsidiary of BTR Industries). Plasticell is a closed-cell expanded p.v.c, which is widely used in aircraft interiors. In such applications it is generally employed in a sandwich, with skins of wood, metal, plastics or glass- reinforced resin. In the Bristol Britannia, for example, cabin bulkhead fittings are of Plasticell faced with two veneers of wood or melamine decorative laminate. Thermal and sound-insulating linings for cabins, comprising Tropal and Fibreglass insulation quilted on to p.v.c. or other fabrics in squares or other designs, are made to order by Airpak Ltd, 19 Berkeley Street, London Wl, makers of Tropal, who operate a multi-needle quilting plant. The materials to be quilted are normally provided by the customer. During the past year Arborite Company (UK) Ltd have progressively introduced Arborite decorative laminates, currency restrictions having previously precluded their sale in Britain. Arborite has almost unlimited applications in aircraft furnishing, and various types are held in stock through out the country. Modern developments in silk-screen and inlay techniques have often been employed to enable hand-painted murals, exclusive motifs, maps and dia grams to be permanently sealed in the bulkhead panels or other furnishing throughout the aircraft. Aircraft upholstery woven from such well-tried fire-resistant materials as Vynide and Hydex, both of which combine low weight with a high degree of wear-resis tance, is a speciality of John Cox & Son Ltd, Coxorian Works, Carlisle Road, London NW9. Among new aircraft for which their Vynide-based material has been specified is the de Havilland Trident for BEA. Nylon may find increasing applications m aircraft furnishing. British Nylon Spinners Ltd, 68 Knightsbridge, London SW1, who are Europe's largest manufacturers of nylon yarns, report that limited trials of air craft furnishing fabrics woven wholly or largely from nylon indicate important advantages from the point of view of hard wear, good appearance, and low weight. Mylon carpeting is also arousing the interest of operators. Nylon webbings for harnesses and seat belts are extensively used on ac count of the material's high energy-absorp tion and strength. Other uses for nylon in aircraft cabins 139 Left, Normaiair emergency oxygen equipment. Right, passenger oxygen-mask equipment and stowage by the Walter Kidde Co Ltd include headrest covers, emergency escape chutes and escape ropes. It is mandatory that all fabrics used for furnishing an aircraft shall be flameproof. An old-established clothworking firm who have specialized in the flameproofing and water-shrinking of fabrics since 1925 is Perrotts (Nicol & Petyon) Ltd, 12 Marshall Street, Golden Square, London Wl. Their wide experience and background of research ensures that all fabrics sent to them are flameproofed by suitable methods and that the life of the materials is not impaired. Recent contracts entrusted to Perrotts include the flameproofing of British Replin curtaining and upholstery for Middle East Airlines' Comet 4Cs. Furnishing schemes, both external and internal, are one of the services offered by the Cellon-Docker Aircraft Finishes Division of Pinchin, Johnson & Associates Ltd, Kingston-upon-Thames and Birmingham. Special systems and materials for the air craft industry include strippable coatings, jointing compounds, heat resistant coatings, anti-flash schemes and fluorescent colours. A wide range of detail equipment—for instance, bulkhead fans, steward-call panels and illuminated warning notices—is manu factured by the General Electric Co Ltd, Magnet House, Kingsway, London WC2. This company, of course, is also particularly well known for its cabin lighting equipment. To call attention to the various services provided for passengers, some of which are not self-evident, there must be nameplates and notices. "Metalphoto" labels, photo graphically and permanently reproduced on anodized aluminium plates, offer a serviceable and elegant solution to this problem. They are supplied by R. H. Lighting Ltd, Anyards Road, Cobham, Surrey, who offer a five-day service using customers' artwork or negatives, or al ternatively, at 20 per cent higher cost, they operate a same-day service. Another approach to the labelling prob lem is offered by Malby's Metal-Cals Ltd, 1 Queen's Park Road, Brighton 7, Sussex. Metal-Cals, which are alurninium-foil labels, are self-adhesive with a strong reliable bond. They have, it is stated, satisfied rigorous tests by RAE, AID, and other official organizations. There are two varieties of Metal-Cals. One has a Cellophane backing which is removed after immersing the Metal-Cal in warm water for 40-60sec; the label is then immediately pressed firmly into position. A newer type of Metal-Cal has a dry-re moval backing, the latter being simply peeled off before application; this variety is not recommended for use on curved sur faces or where extremes of temperature are involved. • Emergency Equipment PROVISION of emergency oxygen supplies for passengers in high-flying aircraft is now a "must," for any failure of cabin pressure at high altitude could lead to oxygen star vation with its serious consequences. The Walter Kidde Co Ltd, Belvue Road. Northolt, Greenford, Middx, have de veloped oxygen-distribution systems incor porating masks for each passenger and crew member which automatically drop down from their stowages and present them selves to the passenger when the system is triggered off by a loss of cabin pressure. The company also make portable lightweight oxygen sets for use by the cabin crew during an emergency period; and a 310-litre portable oxygen smoke set with a full-face smoke mask for use by the flight crew in a smoke-filled atmosphere. On long-haul aircraft, liquid-oxygen supplies for the emergency oxygen system offer considerable attractions in weight and space saving, as compared with gaseous oxygen systems. One of the first airliners to be thus equipped will be the VC10, for which Normaiair Ltd, of Yeovil, Somer set, are supplying a 35-litre liquid-oxygen converter. Other contributions by Normal- air to the safety equipment of passenger aircraft include lightweight protective oxygen breathing equipment with full-face mask for crews' use in conditions of smoke or fumes; and high-speed inflation equipment for airborne liferafts. Liquid-oxygen breathing systems for the Argosy C.l, the Comet 4C and the Belfast freighter have been developed by British Oxygen Aviation Services, Harlow, Essex, who stress the greater safety of the 1501b/ sq in lox system as compared with the l,8001b/sq in gaseous system. British Oxygen also provide portable oxygen sets for use in executive and smaller aircraft.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
