When a valued customer specified that his new helicopter must have an interior that was fully vegan, Airbus Corporate Helicopters’ (ACH) design team rose to the occasion.
The resulting ACH145 has now been delivered to German construction entrepreneur Dr Urs Brunner, who insisted on the requirement at the urging of his wife, ethical fashion pioneer Daniela Brunner. The aircraft’s cabin is fitted with ACH Line interior configuration in a grey theme, but the leather elements are replaced with ‘Ultraleather’, which is claimed to capture the ‘visual and tactile leather experience’ with comparable durability.
Items that had to be specially designed and fabricated in the replacement material include the six passenger seats, central storage cabinet, rear partition and cockpit controls cuffs.
Commenting on the technical aspects of the project, the Head of ACH, Frederic Lemos said: “We’re very proud of our team’s work in creating this bespoke ACH Line interior. The material that we used is certified for aviation use and is hard wearing, but it can only be stretched in one direction which means it is a challenge to work with, particularly on the seats. This is where the craftsmanship of our hands-on team became crucial and I am delighted to say that we found a practical way to meet our customer’s desires which also looks superb.”
Image(s) provided by:
Airbus Helicopters
