CURTAINS
Aircraft curtains serve three major purposes:
- they block light in general aviation aircraft
- they divide classes of service on commercial aircraft
- they create privacy areas in flight crew work areas and rest areas
General Aviation Aircraft Curtains tend to be short or are used in the baggage bay; thus the ability to “drape”, or to hang and then be gathered without a ‘flair’ at the bottom hem, does not factor into the fabric selection. The window curtains in these installations tend to be very short and often are attached at the top and bottom of the curtain. Fabrics of any weight can be used for this application.
Commercial Aircraft Curtains are generally longer (36 inches to 84 inches), are attached on sliders at the top, and are usually retracted, gathered at the middle of the curtain length, and held in place with a tie-back strap that either snaps or is closed with Velcro. The ability of this fabric to hang straight when retracted is important, for safety as well as aesthetic reasons. For this reason the fabrics tend to be lighter in weight, and the weave structure is more loosely constructed than upholstery fabrics. For aesthetic reasons, it is desirable that these curtain fabrics are reversible, having the same weave or pattern on both sides.