DOY Design has supplied 30 PAX places of its Ultra-Slim seats to hybrid-electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace in Sweden. The prototype seats, built by DOY in Coventry, have been installed in Heart’s first full-size demonstrator airplane and were selected for their slim construction and lightweight design.
The Ultra-Slim seats are designed to complement the latest regional and short-haul aircraft with an extremely thin profile and a distinctive silhouette that helps to create greater space and higher light levels in the cabin. The seats won a prestigious Red Cabin Trinity Award in Dallas this year for the “best sustainability concept”, incorporating several design principles aimed at reducing their carbon footprint and promoting circularity.
By using the latest manufacturing techniques and distilling the design elements down to their purest form, the weight and robustness have been optimised. The result is a highly focused seat capable of making a significant reduction to the manufacturing and operational carbon footprint.
“It’s been fantastic to work with the team at Heart Aerospace and be involved with a project that has the potential to deliver a more sustainable way to fly,” says Gary Doy, Director of DOY Design.
DOY’s mission to reduce our impact on the environment by sustainably-aware design perfectly aligns with Heart’s mission to decarbonize regional air travel using the latest electric-hybrid technology to reduce emissions. Opportunities to bring the seats to market are available. For more information, please contact info@doydesign.com
Collaborators and Partners
DOY partnered with several suppliers to deliver the seats. The cushion system and dress covers were developed with and manufactured by Sabeti-Wain Aerospace using an innovative clip system for ease of assembly and future disassembly. Sabeti-Wain is at the forefront of dress cover development with a proven track record across all classes of aircraft seats. The dress cover material, made from sustainable recycled leather and supplied by Gen Phoenix, has a luxurious texture and feel that compliments the minimalist design aesthetic, with an 83% lower carbon footprint than traditional leather.
SAC Engineering Design supported the detail engineering activities defining the tolerances and bill of materials in CATIA. DOY worked with SAC to define the production release of the Pitch PF2000 and PF3000 aircraft seats. The composite monocoque seatbacks were optimised for the installation and ease of manufacture by lightweighting specialists CES Advanced Composites. Particular attention was made to reduce seatback thickness and increase available passenger space whilst delivering an ultra-lightweight part.
DOY Design
DOY Design is an independent industrial design company focused on developing sustainable transport products in the aviation and automotive industry. Its founder, Gary Doy, has over 25 years’ experience in commercial aviation seat design and was a founding partner and director of Pitch Aircraft Seating and Design Q. The company is based in the United Kingdom.
All images credited to DOY Design
