FLYZERO
JUNE 2021
FLYZERO IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FUNDED RESPONSE TO CARBON NEUTRAL FLYING. THEY APPROACHED CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS WITH A BRIEF - HOW CAN THE INTERIOR CABIN BE EQUALLY AS CARBON NEUTRAL AS THE ENGINES? THIS INVOLVES MATERIAL SOURCE, WEIGHT AND REPAIRABILITY AS AN EXAMPLE.
MY APPROACH TO THE FLYZERO PROJECT WAS A NEW VARIATION TO AIRCRAFT SEATING THAT INFORMED THE LAYOUT OF THE CABIN, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW PASSENGERS USE AND BEHAVE WHILST FLYING.
THE PROJECT IS AIMED AT SHORT HAUL FLIGHTS WITH A MAXIMUM FLIGHT TIME OF 3 HOURS.
THE PROCESS STARTED WITH SOMETHING CURRENT - AN EXISTING SET OF PLANE CHAIRS. EXAMINING THE LAYOUT OF WHAT IS ALREADY USED WAS ESSENTIAL. WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING ITS FLAWS, I COULD NEVER IMPROVE UPON IT.
STRENGTH + MINIMUM WEIGHT
AIRCRAFT CHAIRS ARE A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF OVER ENGINEERING A SEAT.
THEY HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF BULKY UPHOLSTERY THAT CAN BE AVOIDED. THIS CONCEPT FEATURES A MESH STRECHED OVER A METAL FRAME TO REDUCE WEIGHT.
THIS CONCEPT HAS AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT AS MUCH AS NECESSARY. THE COMFORT AND SUPPORT COMES FROM THE STEEL FRAME, WITH A MECH STRETCHED OVER.
MODULARITY
MAKING A CHAIR MODULAR AND EASILY TAKEN APART MEANS THAT AN AIRLINE IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO REPAIR THEIR CHAIRS RATHER THAN REPLACE THE WHOLE THING IF EVER THEY BREAK.
I FOUND FROM DISMANTLING THE EXISTING ROW OF SEATS THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT FIXINGS THAT ALL NEEDED SPECIFIC TOOLS. THE FIRST STAGE WAS TO LIMIT THIS COMPONENT COUNT.
DESIGNING THE WAY PEOPLE MOVE
THE FIRST EVER COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WAS IN 1914, AND ALMOST SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BEEN FLYING IN THE SAME POSITION, IN THE SAME ARRANGEMENT, WITH VERY LITTLE DONE TO CHANGE.
THE WAY WE FLY IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG. THE WAY CABINS ARE LAID OUT, AND THE WAY WE MOVE THROUGHOUT CABINS, IS EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT. I HAVE ALLOWED THE SHAPE AND FLOW OF THE SEATING TO DICTATE THE CABIN LAYOUT INSTEAD OF CRAMMING SEATS IN FOR NO GAIN.
EASY ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
