For the first time, Lufthansa Technik is showing a lightweight VIP interior concept for Boeing 737 business jets designed to exploit the aircraft's maximum range.

Long-haul widebodies offer ample payload capability to furnish the cabin with weighty installations without comprising range. However, this is different on single-aisle types which were originally designed for short-to-medium-distance flights. Even if equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, VIP narrowbodies might need a stopover on long routes to top up kerosene.

The 737-700-based BBJ1 has a typical range of 4,500-5,000nm (8,300-9,250km) depending on payload and cabin configuration, says Michael Reichenecker, aircraft interior architect at Lufthansa Technik. But with the new VIP cabin concept, this could be extended to 6,200nm.

 Lufthansa Technik interior

 Lufthansa Technik

No customer has selected the futuristic, largely composite-based interior yet. The minimalist design - featuring individual seats that would not look out of place on the set of a 1960s science fiction film and lightweight cabin linings to conceal the airframe structure - could "potentially challenge [established] visual expectations" of private aircraft, says Reichenecker.

The interior was designed to fit a weight benchmark of 12,500lb (5,670kg), covering all cabin installations and a payload of eight passengers with baggage. The engineering revolves not only around the use of lightweight materials and design principles, but also the optimal allocation of weighty monuments, such as galleys, to keep the centre of gravity in a range that avoids unnecessary trimming for maximum fuel efficiency

The concept is ready to be installed on a BBJ, says Reichenecker. No plans have yet been made to extend the concept to Airbus A320-based corporate jets.

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Source: Flight Daily News

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