Achieving the impossible : the unlikely beginnings of the composit aeroplane seat

The aeronautical sector is known for being a hi-tech area where teams of engineers design highly complex wing profiles and engines with unparalleled reliability. By contrast, the passenger-side of the aircraft, the cabin, seems to be technologically less advanced. There are plastic partitions‚ basic floor coverings‚ metal seat structures partially covered in plastic moulds‚ fragile tray tables‚ and screens with applications which are always out-of-date. The very strict regulatory framework and conservatism of airline companies, as well as the current oligopoly, strongly limit innovation in this area. Rather naively‚ in 2011 three engineers decided to design a passenger airline seat made from composite materials and titanium. This seat is much lighter than the usual seat and reduces fuel consumption by 3 to 5 %. Because they did not know that it was impossible to do it‚ they did it.