Abstract

Based on the on-board experience and requirements of Chinese air travelers, an investigation of civil aircraft cabin CMF (color, materials, and surface finish) has been conducted, in order to provide a reference for innovative cabin design, which is expected to match customers’ sensory adaptation, generate aesthetic appeal, and cultural relevance. The research integrated various methods including a user survey, experiment, brainstorming, and conceptual design, which ensures that the CMF solution is based on the combination of both rational and inspirational processes. The research results provided the direction of cabin styles and a reference for the detailed design of material surfaces/textures for various parts of the cabin. In addition to partly utilizing traditional materials with innovative colors and surface effects, some advanced materials and surface finishes have also been adopted. These include liquid crystal optical film with adjustable transparency (used for passenger compartment windows and overhead stowage bins), self-cleaning nano-textiles (seat upholstery), thermochromic smart material (tray table), soft-touch finish and in-mold decoration (armrest), and interactive color-changing sandwich material (floor covering), etc. This article reports and showcases the whole process and methodology of the research project.