Sabreliner Strikes With New Capabilities
Including Painting and Interior Finishing

Sabreliner says this new composite interior modification increases room, eases maintenance access and reduces weight.

The introduction of a paint shop at Midcoast Aviation in Little Rock is one of several new capabilities underway at Sabreliner facilities.

The Arkansas paint shop will be part of a two-hangar complex recently leased by Midcoast at Little Rock Municipal Airport. The additional 68,728 square feet of hangar space is scheduled to be fully operational by January 1999, increasing Midcoast's Little Rock capacity by 34 percent.

In addition to aircraft painting, space in one of the new hangars will be used to expand Midcoast's interior refurbishment capabilities. The second hangar will be used for maintenance of light and medium jets, backshops and aircraft storage.

"As the number of new aircraft deliveries continue to increase and existing aircraft change hands, the new owners of Astras, Citations, Hawkers, Learjets, Sabreliners and Westwinds will need maintenance and modification services," said Midcoast executive vice president and COO Gary Driggers.

"The expansion at our Little Rock facility was planned to satisfy the specific needs of existing operators of these aircraft as well as new operators," he noted.

Meanwhile, Sabreliner's Perryville, MO, operation has designed a new composite interior modification for Model 40, 60 and 65 Sabreliners. The modification provides "four inches of additional head and shoulder rooms, easier access for maintenance and reduces aircraft weight," according to Norbert Meyers, designer of the new interior.

"The interior satisfies the two most frequent demands we get from operators-more room and easier maintenance," Meyers said.

Access is expedited by the composite cabin panels being hinged, he said. "With the push of a button, the panel drops down so technicians quickly and easily gain access to lighting tracks for bulb maintenance and the window line for cleaning and inspection." Without the hinged cabin panels, the emergency exit escape window would have to be removed before beginning any maintenance service.

The installation cost of the composite interior varies widely depending upon aircraft model, the condition of the existing interior, and fabrics selected.

By Gordon A. Gilbert