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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 3232.PDF
SAAB 2000 DESCRIBED Fitting out for comfort t^he contract for the cabin interior of the . Saab 2000 is the second biggest for the aircraft, after the engines, reflecting both Saab's considerable market research, and input from the launch airlines. The work is being carried out by UK- based AIM Aviation, in a contract worth around $200 million, which Olle Engel, Saab's manager for aircraft interiors, says that AIM won "...because they were very competitive on price, and technical ability". Saab 340 cabin contractor Metair is also working at capacity, he adds "...and we didn't want all our eggs to go into one basket". The Saab 2000 philosophy is "...to pro vide the maximum comfort for the passen gers without compromising safety", says Engel. "There have been a lot of improve ments since the Saab 340 was introduced," he adds, particularly in the areas of rigidity, and smoke and fire prevention. Green Saab 2000 airframes will be flown into Hum Airport, AIM's base,- where the cabin work will be carried out. When the full programme is under way, AIM will employ 200 people on the project and, at peak, more than 40 aircraft a year will be fitted out at Hum. The company aims to turn airframes around in 18 days, the work also including external painting. David Fear, AIM's project director for the Saab 2000 programme, says that completing the aircraft includes "...fitting the electrics for lights, emergency equipment, manufac turing and fitting all the furnishings and painting the exterior". He adds that AIM has "...produced all the parts for an acoustic mock-up and for [airframe] 001 and are getting into aircraft 002 and 003". For 001, AIM sent a team to Saab and painted the aircraft there, working with the Saab team. Fear says: "As well as the acoustic mock- up, a further mock-up of toilet, galley and cabin are permanently on display at [AIM's newly acquired] Wallisdown [fac tory]... these have been used and abused by the designers, and also potential customers in order to finalise the design. "AIM plans to leave the mock-ups for future customers to fine-tune their require ments, but, in the meantime, the designs are frozen and aircraft 002 and airframe 003 are being steadily produced on programme." The first fully fitted aircraft will be 003 and this work will be completed by the middle of 1992. MORE LEGROOM Several layouts for the Saab 2000 cabin are being offered, although AIM is concentrat ing on the three-abreast 810mm-pitch 50- seat standard European variant. The Saab 340's standard seat pitch is 740-760mm. Moritz Suter, president of Saab 2000 cus tomer Crossair, claims that, because of some cabin factors, passengers will have "25% more leg room"than in the 340. One problem which Engel describes as "a big challenge" was to design seats which were able to withstand a 16g impact instead of 9g, because of new legislation following the Kegworth Boeing 737 accident. On the interior philosophy, the Saab Cabin layouts Toilet Wardrob Emergency type III exits Service/emergency door Cargo area Entrance door' Carry-on Toilet Wardrobe Basic layout Both aircraft have 50 seats @ 81cm pitch Emergency type III exits- Galley Service/emergency door fTT^GDLjaUOU^CTLj TJU^y Business layout Entrance door Carry-on baggage 6 SAAB 2000 DESCRIBED FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 December, 1991
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