Product
I've helped design and produce many class-a mockups for OEM and aircraft customers with a dedicated team of specialists that assist us designers. We try and use as many authentic materials as possible, however we also make use of a lot of FDM and SLA rapid prototyping. Customers expect to feel like they're standing inside a production aircraft, so it's extremely important to get every single detail perfect. You can think of an aircraft as many different design challenges that have to fit as one (lavatories, bins, cockpit, etc.). The fitment of parts of different materials is probably our greatest challenge. A commercial aircraft cabin as a highly designed product is relatively new, so we have to experiment with materials and assembly that will satisfy high-end car interior-level expectations.
Images shown in B+W at left are of the Irkut MC-21 mockup produced in 2010 (cockpit seat designed by Zoe Pinfold). Following photos are from this year's C-Series mockup for the Paris Air Show. The Wall Street Journal did a walkthrough that can be viewed here.
