The revolutionary cabin flat-panel speakers presented at the QinetiQ pavilion are now operational on three corporate/VIP Boeing Business Jets and a 747-400, and the technology is being considered for inclusion in their airframes by both Airbus and Boeing.
"I don't see this solution being confined to the VIP/corporate market," says Bernhard Conrad, senior vice-president at the Hamburg completion centre of QinetiQ partner Lufthansa Technik. "I'm confident that it will eventually also be offered to the airlines."
Sector
In the meantime, says Conrad, there are more VIP/corporate installations coming. "We're getting lots of interest from that sector."
Lufthansa Technik and QinetiQ teamed up last October to commercialise a range of technologies originated by the British company. The flat-panel speakers are the first products to emerge on the market, and Lufthansa Technik is responsible for aviation certification.
The panels exploit the fact that the light and stiff materials commonly found in cabin trim panels are perfect for the transmission of high-quality sound. Attaching a moving-coil actuator to a trim panel turns the entire unit into a single large speaker.
Significant weight savings arise from the panels' ability to perform both functions - trim and loudspeaker - while passengers enjoy both surround-sound entertainment and clear, crisp announcements. Other advantages over conventional cone loudspeakers include a more even distribution of sound, broader operating bandwidth and improved voice intelligibility.
Next on the Lufthansa Technik shopping list is QinetiQ's work on cabin noise reduction and large flat-panel video screens. "We're very interested in their noise-reduction technology, which combines active and passive measures to attenuate the airflow noise transmitted from the aircraft skin into the cabin via the trim mountings," says Conrad. "Not only does it make the cabin more comfortable for passengers but it also helps to cut weight by eliminating the need for large amounts of passive noise-absorption materials."
Conrad sees the advent of high-definition television as driving demand for similar levels of video quality in the cabin. "It will be our job to make sure that the screens are installable on aircraft and capable of surviving the airborne environment."
BRENDAN GALLAGHER
Source: Flight Daily News
