Duncan Aviation’s full-service facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, has performed a complete refurbishment on a Hawker 800XP.
The scope of work included engine inspections; airframe maintenance; a stand-by instrument replacement; winglets; a paint and interior overhaul; and the installation of Gogo Avance L5.
The owner wanted a clean, sleek and modern interior, so Duncan Aviation project manager Carie Bruss, who was a lead designer at the time, gave the aircraft a ‘showroom’ look by including white upholstery, dark woodwork paired with white-gold accents, and LED lighting.
Bruss was presented with a photo of an interior colour palette and seat design that the owner was drawn to from a different airframe. She took that inspiration and put her own spin on it by creating a diamond pattern design and modifying the pulls and stitching so that it was tailored more towards the owner’s particular seat frame and achieved what he was after.
There was a veneer trim piece on the lower sidewalls that the owner wanted the team to remove and replace with a plated trim piece. The Duncan Aviation technicians milled grooves into an aluminium strip to achieve an updated look complementing the owner’s vision.
While the cabinetry may appear black at first glance, it is actually a very dark chocolate-brown. Sunlight reveals the warm undertones of the veneer, preventing the interior from feeling too cold. The aft lav countertop received Duncan Aviation’s hydrographic finish treatment with a white marble pattern, and Prizm colour-changing LED lighting was also installed.
The owner already had an idea for a paint scheme. He came to the Duncan Aviation design team for guidance on the final greys to use for the stripes and wanted to ensure the exterior would flow with the interior. The scheme they landed on was a white fuselage with a dark grey tail and horizontal stab. Flowing grey stripes on the fuselage and tail help visually lengthen the aircraft and tie in with the interior colour palette.
“This Hawker has by far one of the most stunning interior and exterior colour palettes,” said Bruss.
Jack Bauder, who was a lead designer at the time and assisted with this project, said when the aircraft delivered it was completely unrecognisable compared to its condition at input. “If I hadn’t been a part of the project, I wouldn’t have believed it’s the same aircraft,” said Bauder. “The transformation was that dramatic. The transformation from what the aircraft looked like coming in, to what it transformed into was stunning.”
