Ask anyone who has put an addi-tion on a house and they’ll tellyou that one of the most excit-ing parts of the process is firstseeing the architect’s rendering

of the soon-to-be-transformed home. Inthe airplane game, we also use interiorand exterior renderings, sketches andphotographs to communicate, debate,add and delete ideas until the finaldesign is brought to fruition.

The beauty of the whole process isthat one doesn’t have to be a designer tomake it all happen. Armed with theresearch accumulated with the camera,magazine cutouts and the notes takenearlier (don’t forget your wish list), youare quite well-prepared to sit down withthe person who will spearhead the exe-cution of your project and begin todesign the interior of your dreams.

What comes first?Before immersing ourselves in the

design stage of the project, I want toanswer an often-asked question: Whatshould I do first: paint or interior? Tothe surprise of many, I usually answerthat it really doesn’t matter.

Think of it this way: If we areinstalling a new interior in a freshlypainted airplane, we must take greatcare to protect the new paint job, i.e.cover the wings, install protectivemasking around the doors and windows,etcetera. Conversely, if a paint shop isstripping and painting an airplane with anew interior, they must be absolutelycertain not to allow stripper vapor,moisture or paint overspray to damagethe door jambs or the interior.

Some paint shops are so attentive tothe possibility of paint overspray get-

ting into the cabin as to actually install atemporary inspection panel in the bellyarea that has a fresh air hose mounted toit. This allows them to blow a low-pres-sure fresh air source into the cabin area,creating a slight positive pressure insidethe cabin that ensures no undesiredchemistry can get into the cabin.

The point is, professional, rep-utable companies (exterior or interior)will not cause a problem. So dowhichever improvement you want first.

The designI will break the design process into

several categories, all of which play amajor part in the creation of an interiorthat is as safe, functional, comfortable,durable, maintainable and pleasing tolook at as possible.

• SCOPE. How much of the interior isto be redone? Not all airplanes are inneed of a complete re-do. Simplyreplacing worn carpet and armrests canmake an aging interior look fresh again.

Consider changing the color of thecarpet to pick up a trim color on theexterior. Adding a blue carpet to a pre-viously all-beige interior can change theentire visual feeling of an existing inte-rior. New carpets coupled with newergonomically designed seat upholsterycan also make the entire interior looknew again.

But keep in mind that what oncelooked good can look bad when anotherpart of the interior is upgraded. Trycleaning and then evaluating the com-ponents that you’re not planning tochange to be sure they will measure upwhen the partial job is finished.

• MISSION PROFILE. Here’s a verycomplex part of the interior designprocess, and one where my customersand I tend to spend a lot of time andeffort. These discussions sometimestake us all over the map, from “How doI store more baggage?” to “Maybe Ishould sell the V35B and get an A36.”

I probably get two or three calls amonth from prospective customers who

are considering just that. (“Our two kidsaren’t getting any smaller…” Youknow the drill.) If money is not a con-cern, the decision is simple—buy theA36. Otherwise, stop and think for amoment: How many trips will the kidstake with Mom and Dad when theythemselves are nearly adults? Answer:Not many.

Consider UPS as part of your trav-el plans. That’s right – UPS. Ship thebulk of the heavy stuff to the FBO andhaul just the people in the V35B. Themoney it takes to upgrade to an A36 willpay for a lot of shipping for the fewyears you’re in that situation. Once thekids are grown and on their own, it’slikely that you’ll wish you still had thenicer-handling, faster V35B.

Airplane usesGetting back to decisions at hand,

consider how you are going to use yourairplane. If you fly at night, panel andcabin lighting options need to be evalu-ated. Gooseneck reading lights withdimming rheostats do a much better jobof illuminating books and approachplates than overhead floodlights. And apassenger can read a book without fill-ing the entire cabin with night vision-compromising light.

Selectable red and white glare-shield lighting can more correctlyaccommodate the differing require-ments of VFR and IFR lighting.Consider the fact that aging eyes seebetter with white light. The selectablefeature gives you both. Lighting optionsare nearly endless, and interior renova-tion time is the ideal time to reallyimprove the cabin lighting environment.

• IFR vs. VFR. To me, IFR means morestorage. This can be accomplished inmany ways: dual map cases on the crewseatbacks, a clear Lexan storage box onthe front spar for NOAA or Jeppesenapproach plates, convenient storagepouches for pencils or flashlights, toname a few.

Here’s where keeping a notepadhandy really pays off. If you are con-

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INTERIORSTHE INSIDE STORY

PART IIIBY DENNIS WOLTER

AIR MOD, CINCINNATI, OHIO

stantly unable to find or reach some-thing, make a note to that effect. We willvery likely be able to come up with asolution to the problem.

In addition to the IFR issue, anoth-er important consideration when travel-ing with children (pets, too) is cabinnoise level. Young ears are very sensi-tive to long-term exposure to loudnoise. I think reducing the cabin soundlevel 5-10 decibels is a must whenyoung children are involved.

If you travel with elderly parents,some means of sun protection should beconsidered such as curtains or darkerwindows. Better ventilation seems to bea frequent request, as well as fullyreclining seats. Beech cabin seats builtafter 1962 can be converted to thealmost fully reclining hydrolock type.

The lesson here is to really consid-er how you use your airplane, discuss

matters with your family or travelingpartners, and share your thoughts withthe interior professional you’ve chosen.They’ve probably heard it all before,and can often surprise you with cleverand practical solutions to meet yourneeds.

• MATERIALS. How and where youuse the airplane should be taken intoconsideration when selecting the covermaterials for your new interior. Looks,durability and comfort are the “bigthree” when it comes to choosing theright material. The question I hear mostoften is cloth vs. leather. So here’s mytwo cents worth on the subject.

I’m going to get the leather thingout of the way first. Leather looks beau-tiful, feels nice and smells great.Remember though, that it is a naturalproduct to which a manmade finish has

been applied. It’s only a matter of timebefore the hide develops what theleather salesmen call character, and Icall cracks.

Leather is intolerant of ballpointpen ink, susceptible to abrasion fromsharp objects, wear-sensitive in high-use areas because the finish is quitethin, and is hot in the summer and coldin the winter. Some leathers are veryprone to water spotting, and we allknow how hard it can be to keep Beechwindows and doors watertight. I know Isound pessimistic, but there are somerealities that can’t be ignored whendealing with leather.

On the positive side, today’s leathertanners have made substantial improve-ments in the quality and durability oftheir products. The new breed ofleathers are finished with urethaneinstead of lacquer, and are more flexibleand sun- and abrasion-tolerant than theleathers of yesteryear.

We’ve been using this type ofleather since 1993, and have experi-enced a substantial reduction in crack-ing and noticeable wear. Qualityleathers are “through-dyed,” i.e. thecolor you see on the surface goesthrough the thickness of the hide to theback surface as well. This provides rich-er color, better consistency andimproved wearability.

Finally, aircraft leather must betreated so as not to support combustion(FAR 25.853a). The chemical thatmakes this happen is bromide salt – yes,corrosion-causing salt! If bromide isincluded in the tanning process from thebeginning, a low enough concentrationis used so as not to be a corrosion issue.

If a hide is flame-treated after it hasalready been tanned and finished, a fargreater amount of bromide must beapplied, mostly to the back surface ofthe hide, to pass the FAR. This is whatyou’ll be dealing with if you buy com-mercial or marine leather and treat it tobecome aircraft leather. (I suggest youdon’t go this route.) There is anincreased potential for this hide to causecorrosion if the interior is exposed to

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Typical gooseneck reading light installation available in different neck lengths.

moisture and the salt becomes a corro-sive vapor.

Think what can happen if your cabindoor is left open during an unexpectedsummer storm. All that corrosive runoffcan find its way down into your mainspar. As with many things in life, thecheaper way isn’t the most cost-effective.

In my opinion, the most durableand comfortable interiors consist ofeither Dacron or wool fabric trimmed inhigh-quality vinyl, with wool carpeting(all approved aircraft materials, ofcourse).

If you carry young children or pets,or haul camping gear, skis and bikes,

Dacron is for you. It is an extremelydurable, stain-resistant, sun-tolerant syn-thetic fiber, often used in high-end SUVsand pickup trucks. It can be quite plushand comfortable.

Wool is nature’s most durable andsun-tolerant fiber, and can also be quitecomfortable due to its porous nature. Thefact that both Dacron and woolbreathe contributes to your comfortlevel (warmer in winter, cooler insummer).

As a complement to your fab-ric of choice, I recommend the useof vinyl. Why? Modern vinyls areextremely sun-tolerant, durable,abrasion-resistant and often soleather-like that many people havea hard time distinguishing themfrom leather.

Here is a little story for those

who are skeptical on the vinyl issue.Many of you have seen and examinedthe leather interior in the Beech cabinmock-up I routinely take to ABS con-ventions and other air shows. A numberof years ago, the leather on the door wasdamaged at Oshkosh, and I temporarilyreplaced that section with some match-ing vinyl I happened to have in stock. Ican’t tell you how many times duringthe following year or two someonewould comment, while rubbing thatpiece of vinyl, “There’s nothing like thefeel of leather!” (I’ve since reuphol-stered the door in leather, but stillchuckle when I think of it.)

In the 32 years Air Mod has been inbusiness, probably 40 percent of ourrenovations have been done in all-leather, 10 percent in a fabric/leathercombination and 50 percent in a fab-ric/vinyl combination. Without ques-tion, the 20- and 30-year-old installa-tions we follow that were done in fabricand vinyl look immeasurably bettertoday than their leather counterparts.

Sometimes the right choice is acompromise. When we did AOPA’sAero SUV 206 sweepstakes project in1999, we chose to use leather on theupper side panels (adding a bit of ele-gance) with a durable rich-lookingDacron fabric for the seats and lowerside panels. Add to the mix a berber-type wool carpet, and that machine wasas appropriate for a trip to New York fora weekend of theater and fine arts as itwas heading to a forestry strip inMontana for some trout fishing andcamping.

Floor coveringsHigh-end dense wool carpet is the

material of choice. Wool is verydurable, easily treated for flame-retar-dancy and is available in countlessbeautiful colors as well as numerouspatterns and weaves.

If a customer has allergy problems,however, or owns a floatplane, nylon is abetter bet. We would still be using a high-quality aircraft product in this case, butunfortunately would sacrifice some ofthe plush feel attained with wool.

Color Now that you are armed with some

basic information about material selec-tions, let’s move on to color. Propercolor coordination between the interiorand exterior is essential. The only hard-core rule to obey is to avoid mixing coolcolors and warm colors.

Think of an orangey-brown interiorin an airplane that is white with blue andgrey stripes; warm interior, cool exteri-or—not a good look. Now think of thatsame airplane with a blue or grey interi-or—infinitely better aesthetically.

I know a lot of this seems ratherobvious, and perhaps unnecessary toeven mention. But you wouldn’t believesome of the combinations I’ve seen overthe years.

Next consider light vs. dark colors.We all know that light colors make theinterior look bigger and, because theyreflect rather than absorb sunlight, fadeless and help keep the cabin cooler.Some folks like to incorporate a darkercolor, particularly for the carpeting, as it

is easier to keep clean and can adda striking element of color to theinterior.

Strong colors, like fire-enginered, bright blue and yellow, tend toget old in a hurry. If you are lean-ing toward this type of intensecolor, you may want to tone itdown a bit to something more con-servative—oxblood instead of red,grey-blue instead of vivid blue,camel instead of yellow. You’lllikely be happier down the road.

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Corroded seat caused by post-tanning flame-proofing.

Dacron fabric & leather trim - plush and tough (AOPA’s Aero SUV).

Also, if you use an obviouslystrong color in the interior, that colorshould probably be represented some-where on the exterior. I think a moreneutral interior allows you to consider awider range of exterior choices. Butultimately, the choices are yours tomake. And if you really love that brightred, go for it!

One final note before we actuallydesign your interior. How many timeshave you heard the statement “Less ismore.” Well, it is.

Don’t try to stuff too many differentcolors, textures and sewing details intoyour Beech interior. Keep it clean andsimple. Let the shape of the seats, arm-rests and sewing patterns make a tastefulstatement. Use wood and metal accentsto complement rather than overpowerother interior details. The less-is-moreapproach works for the exterior as well.

Let’s get started You have your wish list, punch list,

photos and ads! I think it’s important tocoordinate the design temperament ofthe interior and exterior. If you like oralready have a trendy, swoopy, flowingexterior paint job, your interior shouldbe organic and flowing to reflect this. Ifyou have an older, classic Bonanza orBaron, perhaps a traditional conserva-tive interior would be more appropriate.

Here’s how we usually do this atour place. After phone calls and data-gathering, the startup date finallyarrives and we dive right in.

First the customer and I sit togetherin the airplane and review the cus-tomer’s notes. It’s not uncommon todiscuss 20 or 30 items, ranging fromdingy yokes, tired instrument panels,storage problems, water leaks and lighting issues to new and innovativeideas that the customer hopes to incorporate into the redesigned interior.

Wish-list items are evaluated anddifferent options are explored. Do youwant a short or long neck on yourgooseneck map light? How about a dim-ming rheostat? And would it be moreconvenient to mount it here or there?

You can imagine how many differentaspects of the interior become a factorin the renovation.

With interior options clarified andtransferred to the Air Mod detail list, wemove into the sample room for theselection of materials (unless this wastaken care of at a prior meeting).

There are hundreds of possiblecombinations and choices, and it’s goodfor the customer to see all that is avail-

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Inspecting the aircraft with the customer and creat-ing the punch list.

More timeless traditional design.

Contemporary and trendy that goes best with a “swoopy” paint design.

able. It can sometimes be a bit over-whelming, and my wife Cynthia and Iare there to help steer things in the rightdirection (we have done this a fewtimes). Our in-house photos and slidesof previously completed projects canoften help, as well as a sketch or twodone on the spot.

Now comes the fun partWith samples chosen and detail list

complete, it’s time to cruise throughphotos of previously completed projects,look again at the magazine ads and pho-tos the customer collected, and startsketching the new interior design. For thesake of simplicity, I am using here what isprobably our most timeless interior andseat design as the basis for how we gothrough this design-development process.

I start with a seat sketch, usuallydrawn with a headrest, and then anotherthumbnail sketch eliminating the head-rest and showing a taller seat back.Sometimes we’ll change the pleatinglayout, or change how the cording is runaround the edge of the seat. In a matter

of minutes, many different aestheticideas can be explored.

With the seat design finalized, I canmake a full cabin sketch incorporatingthe side panels, armrests and lower carpeted panels. I usually make severalphotocopies of this uncolored render-ing, which allows us to quickly explore different color and texture combinations. (Maybe the carpet doeslook better in the darker shade; maybethe fabric should go to the edge of theseat rather than be just a center panel.)

Customers start to get excited atthis point, as we give them a glimpse ofwhat their interior will look like atdelivery. Lots of expectations; no sur-prises. See, it can be as much fun asadding on to the house!

Next month, we start the work.

ABS member Dennis Wolter started Air Mod in1973to bring innovative design and high-quality renova-tions to the general aviation market. Dennis, his wifeCynthia and 10 dedicated employees completeabout 40 renovations each year at their facility onthe east side of Cincinnati. Dennis has a degree inindustrial design from the University of Cincinnati.He is an A&P, IA and a 3,000-hour instrument pilot.

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Sketch of a seat built with lower seat back and aheadrest, and same design built taller with noheadrest.

Finalizing the design with sample materials and colorized sketches.

ABS welcomes new Life MemberKim Sopha of Poynette, Wisconsin.

Kim has been an ABS member since 1990.