Aero-Chair Ltd: Economy Class Aircraft Seat Design Proposal

Economy Class<br>Aeroplane<br>Three-Seat Set

Design Proposal for Aero-Chair Ltd

T-Level Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing | April 2026

450mm Width &nbsp;|&nbsp; 8.0 kg &nbsp;|&nbsp; £7,160 per set

THE CHALLENGE

What We Were Asked To Do

The Brief

Design a set of three connected economy class seats for a commercial aircraft — comfortable, safe, lightweight, and affordable.

£15,000

Maximum Budget Per Set

8.0 kg

Maximum Weight Per Seat

26 weeks

Delivery Deadline

432–457mm

Required Seat Width

2 / 10

THE SOLUTION

Economy Three-Seat Set

Aluminium frame

3× lighter than steel

Fixed headrest

With lateral wings

Fold-up armrests

90° rotation

Tray table

267 × 419 mm

Mechanism casing

No pinch hazards

Life vest storage

305 × 305 mm under seat

<span style="color: #F0A500; font-weight: 700;">Width:</span> 450mm per seat &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: #F0A500; font-weight: 700;">Total:</span> 1,350mm &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: #F0A500; font-weight: 700;">Height:</span> 1,050mm &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: #F0A500; font-weight: 700;">Weight:</span> 8.0 kg per seat &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: #F0A500; font-weight: 700;">Cost:</span> £7,160 per set

MATERIALS

Safe, Lightweight, Sustainable

Aluminium<br>6061-T6

Frame & Structure<br><span style='font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; color: #E0E0E0; margin-top: 6px; display: inline-block;'>3× lighter than steel</span>

Density: 2.7 g/cm³<br>Strength: 310 MPa<br><span style='color: #F0A500; font-weight: 600;'>73% sustainable content</span>

HR Polyurethane<br>Foam

Seat Cushioning<br><span style='font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; color: #E0E0E0; margin-top: 6px; display: inline-block;'>Soft yet supportive</span>

CS-25 compliant<br>Density: 40–60 kg/m³<br>Weight: 1.2 kg/seat

Recycled PET<br>Fabric

Seat Cover<br><span style='font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; color: #E0E0E0; margin-top: 6px; display: inline-block;'>Made from recycled bottles</span>

Saves 1.5 kg CO₂/m²<br>CS-25 fire compliant<br>Weight: 0.4 kg/seat

Stainless Steel<br>304

Bolts & Fittings<br><span style='font-size: 16px; font-weight: 500; color: #E0E0E0; margin-top: 6px; display: inline-block;'>Strong and rust-proof</span>

Tensile: 515 MPa<br>Fatigue tested<br>Corrosion resistant

Total sustainable material content: 73% ✅ &nbsp;&nbsp;(PDS minimum: 70%)

Key Mechanisms

How It Works

Seat Recline

3° to 6°

Gentle recline for passenger comfort

Seatbelt System

Tongue & Buckle

Fast, secure, one-hand operation

Fold-Up Armrest

90° Pivot

Folds up to aid passenger boarding

5 / 10

Ergonomics and Safety

6 / 10

DOES IT MEET THE BRIEF?

Full PDS Compliance Check

14 out of 14 requirements met — Full Compliance Achieved

7 / 10

BUDGET AND MANUFACTURING PLAN

COST PER THREE-SEAT SET

£7,160

(Budget: £15,000 — 53% under budget)

Materials

£1,200

Labour

£483

Certification / Testing

£1,100

Contingency

£1,496

Other / Overhead

£2,881

Buffer remaining: £4,881

Total Project Cost: £1,044,689 / £1,500,000 budget

26-WEEK PRODUCTION TIMELINE

Week 1–3

Design Finalised

Week 4–7

CS-25 Certification Submission

Week 8–13

Tooling & Supplier Setup

Week 14–23

Full Production

Week 24–26

QC, Delivery & Sign-off

8 / 10

CHALLENGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

Challenge 1: Weight Target

Hitting the 8.0 kg per seat weight limit was difficult

Used hollow aluminium extrusion profiles — saves 2.3 kg vs solid bar

Challenge 2: CS-25 Certification Time

Certification process takes 6 weeks — risked delaying production

Tooling and certification run in parallel — no schedule impact

FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Posture Sensors

AI-powered lumbar adjustment

Wireless Charging

USB-C and Qi pads in armrest

Bio-Based Foam

100% plant-derived cushioning

Electric Recline

Motorised with memory settings

9 / 10

SUMMARY

Economy Three-Seat Set — Aero-Chair Ltd Design Proposal 2026

14 / 14

PDS Requirements Met

Full compliance achieved across all categories

£7,160

Outstanding Value

Budget was £15,000 — 53% under

26 Weeks

On Schedule

Exactly on deadline — no delays

QUESTIONS? — Ask Us About:

How did we achieve the 8.0 kg weight target?

Why is the 410mm seat height ideal for passenger comfort?

How does the CS-25 timeline fit within 26 weeks?

Thank You | Aero-Chair Ltd | T-Level Design and Development | April 2026