Obtained 747 business seats - help required with electricals

[2cars4me]

I'm a step closer to a cinema room modeled on an aircraft cabin.

Just obtained one of these, dual business class seats from an Air France 747:



However, no idea how to make the electric seats, lights and massage function work.

Made by Contour Aerospace in Wales .. any PH ideas on bringing it to life? An ex-employee living in Kent would nice but unlikely.

[Griff Boy]

Sorry mate, I can't help with the wiring, but I had to say that I loved the idea of what your doing! Definetely sub zero!

[2cars4me]

Griff Boy said:

Sorry mate, I can't help with the wiring, but I had to say that I loved the idea of what your doing! Definetely sub zero!

Thanks, collecting bits for years. It may be a little sad, but have interior panels & overhead bins in storage. Obsessing over details, such as air fan in attic space pushing air into overhead nozzles & collecting monitors for placing outside the cabin windows to run images of clouds/sky/light ... it'll have surround sound with a separate system to produce a constant cabin/engine noise ... just need help with seat electricals!

[RedWhiteMonkey]

I also can't help but this sounds like an awesome idea. I guess you've already tried the speaking to the company that made them?

[Nigel H]

Ring them up and ask for one?

You never ask you never get!

[williamp]

Their website says they offer technical support. Why not ask them if they have any dipcumentation you could have a copy of

[crazy about cars]

2cars4me said:

Thanks, collecting bits for years. It may be a little sad, but have interior panels & overhead bins in storage. Obsessing over details, such as air fan in attic space pushing air into overhead nozzles & collecting monitors for placing outside the cabin windows to run images of clouds/sky/light ... it'll have surround sound with a separate system to produce a constant cabin/engine noise ... just need help with seat electricals!

Bookmarked! Can't help myself but definitely an awesome project! I was planning to do something similar but as a 737 simulator in the garage. Planned got scrapped though

[2cars4me]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

I also can't help but this sounds like an awesome idea. I guess you've already tried the speaking to the company that made them?

Thanks. Yes, nice people at the manufacturer, I was willing to pay for advice, but they cannot talk to me unless I produce an air operator's certificate for my home cinema.

It was amusing to delve into the insides of an Air France seat find it was made in Wales!

[randlemarcus]

2cars4me said:

Thanks. Yes, nice people at the manufacturer, I was willing to pay for advice, but they cannot talk to me unless I produce an air operator's certificate for my home cinema.

It was amusing to delve into the insides of an Air France seat find it was made in Wales!

On the assumption that the CAA gives Air Operators Certificates, I dare you to send them a request for one, making quite clear that it is for a room in your house

[croyde]

Love it, bookmarked

[anonymous-user]

That can't be too hard to reverse engineer! it's just an electromechanical seat!


Get yourself over to the "techlog" on PPRUNE, and i'd wager you'd be able to harvest enough basic info (voltage / frequency etc) to get a good head start from which you'd be able to work the rest out)

[2cars4me]

Max_Torque said:

That can't be too hard to reverse engineer! it's just an electromechanical seat!


Get yourself over to the "techlog" on PPRUNE, and i'd wager you'd be able to harvest enough basic info (voltage / frequency etc) to get a good head start from which you'd be able to work the rest out)

Thanks. Know of PPRUNE, didn't know they had a "techlog", shall visit.

It may come down to reverse engineering, however, lots of boxes under the seat for the AV/IT/actuators together with interesting connectors, so a little different to my previous experiences.

Whilst the mechanical manual override is great to play with, making seat turn into a bed, I fear upsetting sensitive electronics, hence an appeal for greater wisdom first!

Photo of control panels, too cheap to purchase custard so excuse misuse of Google images and office printer.

[hidetheelephants]

Cool! How much did that stiff you for? Who sells them?

[coanda]

Very cool idea!

This article suggest that the seats might operate on 15v as standard.

http://m.electronicdesign.com/analog/standards-and...

Pprune should furnish the answer, however i would also suggest looking for the ac/dc convertor and having a google of part numbers. A bit heath robinson, but sometimes thats all that is left to do! I can understand them wanting proof of an operators certificate considering what lengths some countries and companies will go to to get around restrictions.

[anonymous-user]

That suggests that each seat takes the std cabin 115v 400Hz power feed, and then internally rectifies / shifts this AC voltage to a suitable DC level (15v for power outlet for example) it doesn't say on what voltage the actual seat operating occurs.

I suspect there may well be series bus based coms to the cabin power distribution box, but that you can probably just rip all that stuff out and just power the mechatronics with a suitable dc voltage provided by a simple SMPS etc

[valiant]

Phone them back up but this time in a french accent...

"Zut alors, dees seats you av made av broken.Pleeze tell me ow to fix or we vill never buy from yoos again! Air France are magnifique! You are merde!!"

You may wish to watch a few episodes of Allo Allo first to get the hang of it.

[mattdaniels]

Have to say I think it's a pretty bizarre idea to have a home cinema modelled on an aircraft cabin, and particularly the bit about simulating the aircraft noise and scenes out of the window - but full marks for effort!!

I second the suggestion of heading over to PPrune. Plenty of tech knowledge over there. You just need to find the right people who'll take you seriously. It can be a bit frosty towards "outsiders".

[2cars4me]

Thanks for the suggestions and comments.

I can accept bizarre. However for the same cost as a nice electric reclining sofa we'll one day be able to settle upon comfortable seats, even clip the belt if one wishes, recline and perhaps engage massage function, dim the lights, adjust the airflow, open the seat table, spread food, open drinks and enjoy a movie on a nice widescreen.

The fuselage, overhead bins, fake monitor based clouds, cabin/engine noise and other details may be excessive, yet some of us look forward to entering the business section of a 747, knowing that one is cut-off from the world (it'll be a no-phone room) and only popcorn, movies, drinks and ice-cream can enter from the world outside.

The worst bits about flying, especially security, turbulence, third party flatulence, screaming babies, the destination and Americans who think you woke up that morning at four for the sole purpose of listening to a monologue on their personal wisdom, business success and condo in Godknowswhereville, will cease to exist.

Perhaps it is a recreation of a desired state of being, an airline suspension in a utopic flight of fantasy with a practical home movie application and label on the side stating "I built this".

Or perhaps I just like planes and have never traveled other than economy.

[951TSE]

These guys might know someone who can help you out:

http://www.itassa.org/

No connection just found by a web-search.

There's also this for the committed interior err, 'enthusiast'

http://aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/latest_i...

Oh and Contour may make the seats in Cwmbran but there's a wiki that says their headquarters are in Camberley Surrey which is a bit closer to Kent, which is what you wanted?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contour_Aerospace

[anonymous-user]

mattdaniels said:

Have to say I think it's a pretty bizarre idea to have a home cinema modelled on an aircraft cabin, and particularly the bit about simulating the aircraft noise and scenes out of the window - but full marks for effort!!
.

Can't find the link now, but there was a bit on the Beeb about a bloke in Canada who did his own home sim........except his was a subway train.