Spirit Aeronautics has installed a Steecon electric cabin door in a Bombardier Challenger 604.
“The customer had the opportunity to ride in a larger aircraft and noticed that it was equipped with an electric pocket door in the forward cabin, a feature that was extremely appealing to him,” said Tony Bailey, president and COO of Spirit Aeronautics.
“After quite a bit of research, we could not find where an electric cabin door had ever been installed in a Challenger 604, so we started looking at other aircraft such as the Bombardier Global 5000. That led us to Steecon, a leader in aircraft cabin doors, including electrically actuated forward cabin doors for the Global 5000 aircraft. Steecon provided a door mechanism that met all customer expectations; it is absolutely amazing and works flawlessly.”
“We are pleased that Spirit Aeronautics contacted us regarding this inaugural Challenger electric pocket door installation,” said Chris Steel, president at Steecon.
“Since 2013, we’ve delivered multiple electric pocket doors for Global 5000 aircraft, including one double/dual door, but until now, nothing electric for the Challenger series.
“Electric mechanisms have improved a lot over the years with technology advancements. We use state-of-the-art programmable motors with multiple inputs that provide door operation customization like deployment speed and sensitivity adjustment for obstacles encountered while closing. And even in the case of power loss, the door will fully operate manually with all frangibility features intact,” Steel added.
The Challenger 604 refurbishment also included the installation of Rockwell Collins’ Venue CMS, an updated lavatory, new soft goods and new wood in designated areas.
June 19, 2015