A new seating design called the chair™ from Lufthansa Technik has passed all 16g and 9g certification tests for forward and aft facing installations. The chair™ utilizes an innovative pedestal design that is mounted on a baseline core structure and was conceived in conjunction with Pierrejean Design Studio.
This certification allows VIP and VVIP aircraft owners, operators, and designers to choose from thousands of possible chair™ configurations to accommodate the needs of a special cabin arrangement. The ETSO (European Technical Standard Orders) / TSO (Technical Standard Orders) certificate is in process and will be issued over the next few months.
This certified pedestal and structure is intentionally left incomplete, allowing designers to create a chair to meet the individual needs of a particular cabin, whether it is a dining room, video lounge, office, bedroom, etc. Configurations can be customized by changing the size of the ribs, thickness of upholstery, back rests in different heights, ergonomic functions such as leg and arm rests as well as other flexible add-on elements.
The shape, upholstery, and padding can be selected to allow for an interior design under one certification and allows the Lufthansa Technik experts to validate changes to the chair™ without intensive re-testing.
Testing was designed and passed to maximum dynamic load cases. This enables changes to be classified as minor deviations under the umbrella of an existing ETSO/TSO.
The benefit of chair™ is not only an artistic interpretation, it also permits a variety of design options which in the past were not possible. The chair™ family concept will save space, optimize weight, and create a more ergonomic interior.
