Cabin interior view of passenger aircraft converted into cargo aircraft by LHColus’ Class F Quick Change Solution. Photo: LHColus
US firm Liebherr Aerospace Saline is set to enter the passenger to freighter (P2F) supply chain following an agreement to become the exclusive international distributor for LHColus’ quick conversion passenger to freighter cargo solution.
The Michigan-based company and LHColus Tecnologia Ltd, based in São José dos Campos, Brazil, have recently signed an agreement for Liebherr-Aerospace Saline to act as the exclusive international distributor of the quick conversion passenger to freighter cargo aircraft solution – also known as Class F Quick Change – developed and certified by LHColus.
Liebherr will be responsible for the global distribution (excluding Brazil) through its worldwide customer services network, that will provide sales and technical support.
“We are excited about our entry into the booming air cargo market and the possibility to bring to our customers such an easy, fully reversible and cost-effective solution,” commented Alex Vlielander, chief customer officer of Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS.
“We are very happy about this agreement with Liebherr, a leading global OEM that has shown keen interest in our cargo conversion kit, contemplating its distribution worldwide as well as looking forward to developing this project for other aircraft models like the Airbus A320 and Boeing’s 737. This partnership will surely enhance our market reach and enable us to offer cost-effective cargo conversion solutions on a global scale,” said Luís Henrique Colus, LHColus executive director.
Flávio Costa, technical vice-president of Azul, added: “We are the first company in the world to have installed this system. In our fleet, we have converted five Embraer E-Jets E1 with the Class F Quick Change Solution, and we are very excited about the agility and versatility that this change has given us. It is a constant improvement that allows us to serve our customers better.”
The Class F Quick Change is implemented with a fully reversible modification on the aircraft. The solution is currently certified for Embraer E190 aircraft but can be extended to other single-aisle aircraft types.
The conversion requires the removal of all main cabin seats to make room for aluminium frames and independent fire-proof and smoke-contained cargo nets. The cargo is monitored by two fully independent IR cameras, which are designed to detect any heat sources, alerting the pilots in the cockpit.
The system also features a smoke barrier to isolate the main cabin from the front galley/cockpit area (a mandatory requirement) and cargo placards, which are used to indicate the maximum load height.
