A smaller jet cowling chair, made from a less-cursed plane

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/04/25/high-turbulence-seating.html

You’re going to know when change drops from your pocket. Is this thing on?

7 Likes

If you know what change is, then this chair is not for you.

14 Likes

made from the cowling of the (now notorious) Boeing 737’s jets

There’s nothing particularly notorious about Boeing 737’s in general. It’s an excellent plane in general, although getting a bit long in the tooth. It’s the new variant 737 MAX that’s the notorious one.

14 Likes

I think I need a cluster bomb drinks cabinet.

Are 747 wheel coffee tables the jet-age equivalent of wagon-wheel coffee tables?

2 Likes

The engine cowling on the 737 Max would be good for something said the investors…

images%20(9)

2 Likes

And I think it was only the MAX-8 and MAX-9, right, not the 7 or 10?

2 Likes

No price listed on the site - whelp - that leaves me out. Too bad; perfect for my office.

2 Likes

The large one went for $28,000. Presumably the small one is more affordable.

3 Likes

Is it large enough to live in?

3 Likes

I’ve heard of micro houses, but this is ridiculous.

2 Likes

The turbine spiral is a nice touch.

2 Likes

BAe 146- sounds like one engine, actually four, needs six.

1 Like

All you’d need is a long haired white cat. Eye patch optional.

2 Likes

Yes, and I don’t think the engines were a problem.

Yes, and I don’t think the engines were a problem.

They contributed, but the why is several whys deep.

The desire to use more efficient engines, which had a larger diameter, led to airframe geometry changes to accomodate the engine, the geometry changes altered handling characteristics, which led to the need for automated systems to control newly created handling issues, which could cause dangerous situations if systems failed.

Wired Article

To maintain its lead, Boeing had to counter Airbus’ move. It had two options: either clear off the drafting tables and start working on a clean-sheet design, or keep the legacy 737 and polish it. The former would cost a vast amount—its last brand-new design, the 787, cost $32 billion to develop—and it would require airlines to retrain flight crews and maintenance personnel.

Instead, it took the second and more economical route and upgraded the previous iteration. Boeing swapped out the engines for new models, which, together with airframe tweaks, promised a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency. In order to accommodate the engine’s larger diameter, Boeing engineers had to move the point where the engine attaches to the wing.* This, in turn, affected the way the plane handled. Most alarmingly, it left the plane with a tendency to pitch up, which could result in a dangerous aerodynamic stall. To prevent this, Boeing added a new autopilot system that would pitch the nose down if it looked like it was getting too high. According to a preliminary report, it was this system that apparently led to the Lion Air crash.

If Boeing had designed a new plane from scratch, it wouldn’t have had to resort to this kind of kludge. It could have designed the airframe for the engines so that the pitch-up tendency did not exist. As it was, its engineers used automation to paper over the aircraft’s flaws. Automated systems can go a long way toward preventing the sorts of accidents that arise from human fecklessness or inattention, but they inherently add to a system’s complexity. When they go wrong, they can act in ways that are surprising to an unprepared pilot.

4 Likes

It looks cool, but I found it odd that none of the images showed someone actually sitting in it. I found one image, but the guy was just perched on the edge. It doesn’t look like it would be that comfy, especially if you had joint issues so couldn’t curl up into a small space. A+ on form, C- on function.

1 Like

No it doesn’t.

177925-1548319830

3 Likes

Ah. Thanks!

image

6 Likes