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The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

Extending an Active Gulfstream’s Useful Life

Posted by Kate Dolan on Thu, Apr 27, 2017 @ 09:21 AM

Duncan Aviation recently refurbished a 12-year-old Gulfstream G550, giving it a whole new interior, a new exterior paint scheme, and an upgraded CMS (Cabin Management System). During this refurbishment, we also performed scheduled maintenance to minimize the impact of the downtime for the client’s flight schedule.

“Because of the reliability of Gulfstream aircraft, they continue to be dependable business tools, regardless of age,” says Completions/Modification Sales Manager Nate Klenke. “This serial number was a top performer in our client’s fleet, so they decided to give it a facelift and keep it flying.” 

A New Interior

Duncan Aviation Lead Designer Rachael Weverka redesigned the interior, proposing an updated color scheme, all new soft goods (fabrics, seat upholstery, headliner fabrics) in the cabin and a unique combination of natural veneers and colored accents.

The galley designs featured multi-colored finished surfaces coupled with high-gloss veneer finishes. The upper galley cabinets, for instance, were treated with a light cream color to coordinate with the headliner fabric.

View our Gulfstream Interior Gallery

Based on Rachael’s designs, the production teams created sleek new drink rails, and redesigned the PSUs (Passenger Service Units), adding veneer and plating to modernize the panels. Rachael grouped lights and gaspers into pods for each chair and added plated accents to the handrails.

We also reconstructed the front door in the galley from a sliding door to a drop-down door. The door is now a single piece, and it pivots with hinges on each corner so it can be angled and rotated into a functional workspace.

N755VE0003 (Small).jpgGVSP-N755VE-037 (Small).jpgBefore & After

During the project’s planning, the client requested the new design be consistent with the rest of their fleet. With a very conservative budget, Rachael was able to incorporate stylized design elements using the existing panels and structure to develop a cabin environment that was spot-on with the client’s request.

The seats pop with new French stitching (a double topstitch on top of the leather), and the extra detailing on the armrests and lower sidewalls was inspired by the stitching on the seats.

“We worked to modernize the materials, taking it from what was a bit standard and going a few steps beyond,” says Rachael. “The seats now have an ergonomic design, providing passengers with greater lumbar support, making the seats comfortable as well as attractive.”

Using two-toned leather for the drink rails made them more durable than if they’d been covered in fabric or veneer.

“We used hand-tipped the leather to maintain a soft textural feeling,” says Rachael. “It helps give the lower sidewalls a bit of visual interest as opposed to a solid color.”

Read about the rest of this project in the Spring 2017 Duncan Debrief magazine.

Tags: Interior Refurbishment, Gulfstream

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