Inside an $80,000,000 AIRBUS Private Jet With a BEDROOM SUITE!
- In the world of private aviation, some of the biggest planes on earth are converted for private use. So to get a better understanding of the aviation sector, we came to the Comlux facilities to check out their latest creation. This is the ACJ TwoTwenty, Airbus's newest corporate jet. There are only two in operation in the world. And we got exclusive access to it before it was even delivered to its owner. Comlux gave us a behind the scenes look at how they build these one of a kind jets and sat down with their CEO to learn more about what it takes to produce these planes.
- I always just say we're a worldwide company because we don't really have offices everywhere. We have people everywhere because opportunity is everywhere. - That's why on this episode we're going to take a deep dive into understanding how these planes are manufactured touring the new ACJ with its all exquisite details and finishes and even better, flying on this jet truly brings this experience to all of you.
(dramatic music) This is the brand new Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty. There are two of them in operation in the world and we have the second one right behind us. We're currently at Indianapolis Airport right next to the tarmac at Comlux facility. And Comlux is the exclusive outfitting partner of Airbus when it comes to these aircrafts. They're building the first 17 with Airbus and what an opportunity we have in our hand to tour this incredible aircraft and share this experience with all of you. Now I wanna talk about the exterior dimensions of this aircraft.
It's 114 feet, nine inches long. Wing span is 115 feet, one inches. Now right in front of us we have one of two, Pratt & Whitney, 1500G engines that can push this aircraft to 624 miles an hour top speed.
And the cruising speed of this aircraft is around 524 miles and it is crazy for me to be standing right next to this insane engine. How cool is my backdrop? - [Cody] I have never been this close up and personal with an aircraft engine before. And those blades, look how close they are to the outside ring. - [Cody] It's like terrifyingly beautiful. It is stunning in my opinion. It's crazy. And then going to this side, we can walk right next to the landing gear.
Look how little I look and these massive tires tuck into this space right here, which is crazy. And lastly, I wanna bring everybody to the tail section. We talk about cantilevers on our channel all the time and these aircraft are some of the craziest cantilevering structures in the world.
Look how far in those back tires are and the entire tail section and it's just floating up in the air. And I wanna keep our tour on the exterior, nice and short because I know all of you wanna see the interior. In fact, let's go up there so we can continue our tour. (upbeat music) Off of the entry, we have this beautiful lobby area with patterned hardwood floors, wood paneled walls with LED lighting.
It's a nice warm welcome to this plane. And in front of me we have the hot section of the galley where you have ovens, food storage. This is the bathroom for the crew. And right in front of us we have the door opening up to the cockpit. (upbeat music) The cockpit of this airplane is so impressive.
As soon as you walk in, you realize how minimalist it is. You don't have any yokes, you have side sticks, beautiful minimalist screens. It feels very exciting to be here.
And your control gauges, everything again is so futuristic. We have the thrust control here. You have your pedals on the feet that can help you with elevation and braking. Then you have your side sticks to control, lean the airplane as well as going up and down.
And then you have your main screens on this side, autopilot right in the center. And we have more controls above us. Now at this point, if you're wandering where my knowledge of this cockpit comes from, earlier on, I got a chance to talk to the captain. In fact, let's have him show us more. - Hello everyone.
So this is latest technology, highly computerized flight deck. We have six screens. Two are mainly used for the primary flying, so that's the when we actually flying manually or under automation, the aircraft, we have a navigation and systems and communications. We have here an overhead panel. This is an area where we can select all the systems of the aircraft.
So for instance, we have the electrical, the fuel, hydraulic, the air, so for air conditioning, temperature and the anti ice system for the wings and the engines. Behind all this, it's a lot of computers. So there is also a lot of automation which makes our life easier and which makes the flight safer at the end. - And compared to some of the other commercial jets that I saw, this one seems to have way less buttons. More screens- - Yes.
- And more of a minimalist approach. - Yes. - [Enes] And makes it easier for the pilot. - Yes, yes. I really recommend the ACJ TwoTwenty. I really enjoy flying it. And this is for me, I have the best of all worlds. A business jet as you see the cabin.
- Yeah, - And and the performance and the efficiency of use. - Amazing. Now let's continue our tour with the galley. On the other side we have the main galley, we have so much countertop space, base cabinets. I really like this upper section here where we have crystal glasses and they also have slots where these glasses sit so they're nice and secure during a flight. Basically this is your main galley and you have the hot section on the other side, additional storage here. Perfect place for you to prepare the food and service your guest that's sitting on the other side.
In fact, follow me this way, the next space I wanna take everyone is the forward seating area. We have two comfortable seats here, window so you can enjoy the views. And then on the other side we have the first bathroom for the guests, you have the same wood patterned floors, toilet is actually right here. And then on the other side you have your beautiful vanity, polished fixtures, LED lighting, toiletries, everything you need. It's a really exquisite space and we have more bathrooms to see. Now follow me this way.
The next section that we're gonna be touring is the forward lounge. And it's so exquisite. we have in total, six seats here. And before I talk about these details, I wanna talk about the specs of this aircraft. So it features 786 square feet of interior space, can accommodate up to 19 passengers and it has a range of 5,650 nautical miles, which is a lot given the size of the plane.
That way you can fly anywhere from Los Angeles to London, London to Tokyo or New York to Istanbul. So you have a really, really good range. In regards to crew, you must have at least one steward, two pilots and one engineer on board. They must stay on board for every single flight. But given the size of this plane, you'll probably have two or three stewards. Price is around $80 million.
This particular plane is around low eighties and if you want to charter a plane like this, it'll cost you around $13,000 an hour. So you can kind of make the math there. And this is actually the second out of 17 that Comlux is building with Airbus. So it's a really phenomenal opportunity for us to get access to a jet like this, get a chance to fly on it. And it looks absolutely stunning.
I mean look at the lounge here for a second. You have these exquisite seats with leather finish and custom details and these seats are 22 inches wide, so they're wider than traditional business jet seats that are 16 to 18 inches. So you have that extra comfort and you don't have to share your armrest, which is really nice. Now right in the center we have this table set up that pops up and folds down.
That way you can have a proper dining experience here. Look at all these electro chromatic windows and then you have mood lighting, suede panels. In fact, I wanna show this detail to everyone. So if you come over here and hit this button, it actually closes all your windows and blacks out the entire cabin properly. Also, if you want, you can come over here and actually change the interior lighting so you can kind of set the mood- - Ooh yeah.
- Which is really nice, right? - I like that. - And when you want to just go back to your regular setting, you just come over here, hit your windows and there you go. I mean, what an exquisite space. And then on the other side we have two additional seats. Again, I love the leather, these chrome attachments or cover plates.
This is your seat belt. How cool are these seats? - [Cody] The craftsmanship on these are next level and I really, really like the blue leather. - It feels like we're - in a bespoke Rolls Royce. - Definitely.
- We are basically going from one section to another. And I also wanna show this detail to everyone. Look at the dining setup here, how elegant this floating table is. - [Cody] I was gonna say the ease of opening that was wild, compared to a commercial flight where it takes you five minutes to open your tray. This is so easy. - So easy. Beautiful aircraft.
In fact, now let's go this way, so we can talk about the next section, which is the service galley. And we have the second bathroom to my right. We have the toilet to the left, vanity right in front of us. Again, exquisite details. You have all of your toiletries. And then on the other side we have the service galley where we have additional cabinetry, side cabinet here, uppers, countertop space.
There's also a sink here with a cover plate. And this is the area where you put the final touches on your plates, dishes before you serve your guests on the other side. Now come on in to the main lounge. It's a phenomenal space. You can really see the length and the width of this aircraft here. I just love how airy it feels between the mood lighting, paneling, details and before we continue, I want to talk about what it takes to build one of these planes. At this point it's easy to observe how complicated these planes are when it comes to manufacturing and putting them together.
And this is where Comlux comes in. Comlux is a vertically integrated company that covers a wide spectrum of aviation business from acquisitions, operation, outfitting, assembling and resale. That's what makes Comlux so unique. Not to mention, you have a global brand like Airbus on the other side of the equation. The relationship Comlux has with Airbus and how Comlux managed to secure an exclusive right to outfit the first 17 that will be produced.
- The answer is very complex there, but to give the simple answer I think it's trust. And you know I think Airbus views us because we are a customer, because we are an operator because our management team is also former Airbus as well. They understand how Airbus works. They're with us because they trust us, we're with them because we trust them. - And to understand the procedure furthermore, we requested behind the scenes access. Welcome to com Comlux's facility in Indianapolis, one of their seven locations across the globe.
A 157,000 square foot facility where at any given time, multiple corporate jets are being outfitted. These ACJ TwoTwenties come directly from Airbus, fully assembled with an empty fuselage ready to be outfitted with an interior and finishes. From there, it goes through the stages of manufacturing parts, cabinetry, assembly and avionics and then the final process of putting the plane together and inspecting it before delivering it to the client. But before we can get to these stages, we first gotta design the plane. They have their in-house team that help pick and curate every fabric, components, finishes and details. They work with clients side by side and help them navigate this process.
Sky is really the limit in regards to how these planes can be customized. Next in their manufacturing process is where they make their own custom parts and components. Beautiful. So the entire fabrication happens here? - Start to finish. - Their CNC machines play a crucial role in manufacturing precise parts that comply with aviation standards and regulations. And it was quite the sight to see.
Well that's pretty satisfying to watch. That's why Comlux goes out of its way to produce custom manufactured components that not only fit each of their planes perfectly, but have the lowest weight possible for efficiency while keeping durability in mind. (upbeat music) And the way they achieve that while maintaining rigidity, is with these honeycomb panels that are then layered with different veneers before being assembled into furniture. Each panel and part must be 9G certified, which in simple terms means that the pieces must be able to withstand nine times their weight. For example, this cabinet alone is under 80 pounds. Would you say given the specs and what these components need to comply to, these are like some of the best built furniture pieces in the world basically, right? - Oh absolutely.
You, I mean the thought process has to go into it and you could see on the bottom we gotta have access panels on top just to be able to install. So there's a lot more engineering involvement, thinking about the way you do maintenance in the future on these. - Beyond each piece's functionality, it needs to be designed in a way to accommodate paneling and other components that are attached to it. It's truly fascinating to see the multiple layers of complexity that Comlux goes through to make their interiors comply with aviation regulations. (intense music) Now when it comes to the avionics and the technology that's in the plane that the user interacts with, that's also where Comlux does it a little bit differently than its competition.
All of their wiring and harnesses are done in-house. This allows Comlux to quickly manage and resolve any issues without having to rely on outside vendors and maintain the highest standards and precision with their technology. And for the parts they do have to outsource, they have a great solution to still maintain production schedule in case of any delays. - So this is actually going to be on the ceiling as a ceiling panel screwed into the top and there's four throughout the aircraft. So these are kind of the brains, they control a lot of the electronics in the aircraft. - Some of the components say that not for aircraft usage.
Why is that? - Some components could be on a six to 12 month lead time and we don't have that long to wait for a component to get in house to build the pallet. So we get the direct dimensions from the manufacturing, we 3D print to the dimensions that the box is gonna be received in so we can run and route our wires and see how it interferes with the equipment. - I honestly genuinely thought that a lot of these pieces were manufactured outside and this is really the assembly hub for these planes.
Very impressive to see that basically you guys start the procedure from the zero and bring it to a hundred. - And when we did have it, more external vendors and outside suppliers is when we realized we should have it more internalized. So it's a learning lesson, always. - [Enes] This is why it can take up to 18 months to build one of these planes and each build is just as complex to produce.
- So the 18 month timeframe is something we reserve for our more custom configurations. With the serialized production nature of the ACJ TwoTwenty and with the other products we're actually shrinking that quite a lot. I always say the best day is the day they leave to a happy customer. That is, that is the best day of the entire project. - It's fascinating to see how they set themselves a virtually seamless production line start to finish to author these one of a kind planes and it really shows in the build quality of these ACJ TwoTwenties.
(upbeat music) Now let's focus on the dining area here, again we have four seats. The leather palette is changed on this side so you have a different contrast. Your main dining area, again this table is raised, it folds down and they can actually extend the table on the other side and bridge the gap here so that eight people can dine on this side. And let me tell you, yesterday we got a chance to fly on this plane and experience what's like to be treated like a proper VIP I'm gonna say- - Definitely. - And enjoy the food, enjoy the service and it was genuinely out of this world. You would assume that this plane is like any other business jet, but it is not.
Between the comfort, the level of service and the curation of this plane creates a truly one of a kind experience. I mean it didn't even feel like we were flying. It felt like we were at our home getting five star service while going really fast 30,000 feet up in the air.
I don't know if that's a good way of explaining how the experience was, but it was absolutely phenomenal. - It really was. I've never experienced walking around in a living room setting while like 30,000 feet up in the air.
So it was a little like weird at first but it also felt so normal. - It's so quiet inside- - It is. - You can comfortably talk to each other, interact with everybody on board and then they have this humidification system on board as well where they're really controlling the air and it's moisture level so it doesn't feel like you're in a plane, in a cabin, you're actually on land, so the food tastes better, you don't really feel the jet lag, the overall experience is better.
Basically Comlux and Airbus looked at this jet and went, how can we improve every aspect of this plane? And they did it. They built that product. - [Cody] They really did. And honestly one of the best parts during our flight, the wifi speed, crazy fast, - 50 megabits per second, which is impressive. And yeah, we can keep bragging about this plane but we gotta continue our tour. We have two more seats on this side, Cody let's actually show some of its features here.
Obviously you can move, you can extend and when you want to go back to the regular setting, you just hit this button, there we go. And you can also swivel and change your direction so you can talk to the people on the other side. - The swivel function's really cool, - Super cool, super easy to operate, lock it in place. And now let's continue our tour.
We got so much more to see. Now this is the second section of the main lounge where we have this L-shaped couch. Another 4K TV and then on the other side we have more electro chromatic windows.
In fact, I wanna show this in person. So cool, just keep hitting, keep dimming and eventually the blackout rolls down. - [Cody] This is why I always love flying on like commercial Airbus planes because sometimes you'll get lucky and you'll get the new ones that actually have this- - Yeah. - Built in,
but this system is cool. I also love how they group those two windows into one seamless window. It just makes it feel so much more luxurious. - Exactly.
And the way they position these seats, even though they're regular airplane windows, it feels so much more airy and spacious here. And then you have your cup holders, wireless chargers. I mean they thought of everything and obviously this main lounge is great to get some rest, relax, enjoy your company. But if you want to take your rest to the next level, you open up the door on this side and go into the bedroom suite. Now in this room we have two built-in sofas that are motorized. So a push off a button, you can actually extend out these sofas and turn them into full-sized beds.
The crew onboard will set it up for you and once it's all set up, it's about 120 centimeters wide, 200 centimeters long. So it's around a full-sized bed and you can basically turn this space into a bedroom suite, which is fantastic. On top of that we have these side tables with cup holders and wireless chargers. And the wireless chargers on the other side are actually in the cabinetry. So I wanted to mention that and think about flying to London, being able to sleep here. Not to mention we have a full bathroom that we're gonna see in a second.
It is basically categorized as a business jet but you really have the functionality and qualities of a wide body jet. And on top of that, it's extremely efficient to run and operate much cheaper than conventional wide body jets. It's a really unique package. It fills a really interesting void and that's really what I'm so impressed about. - [Cody] Definitely. The thing that struck out to me the most is given its size and volume, it's only takes up the same amount of space as a regular Gulf Stream.
And we all know like parking at these airports, especially during peak like seasons, it's, it's very, very expensive and with its size you can also take off on shorter runways. So you can go to these exotic islands and take off and not have to like charter a separate plane. - And when you look at the ACJ model, the base, it was designed as a regional plane, but Airbus equipped this plane with four additional fuel tanks. So you get that long range but you still have a very compact aircraft where you have every single thing you can possibly need. In fact, you can store up to 60 plus check-in luggages and up to a 100 plus luggages with carry-ons and personal items, which is absolutely fantastic.
And yeah, this is your bedroom and when you're ready you go over to this side straight to the bathroom. I mean having a bathroom like this in an aircraft is incredible. You have so much space, storage area. In fact we have a massive cabinet here. Toiletries are nicely laid out. And then we have the oversized vanity here with a chrome fixture, LED lit mirror, more toiletries on this side that are nicely laid out.
And then we have the toilet over here, discreetly hidden. But the highlight of this bathroom is the walk-in shower that's on this side. I mean this is stunning.
You have a rain head above, chrome fixtures on this side and you can use this shower up to 30 minutes, which is absolutely insane. - [Cody] It's so insane. The thought of showering in a plane just doesn't register with me. But for someone that's going right to a meeting after you land, having this is such a great luxury.
- Well said. And like I mentioned earlier, this aircraft is designed and curated in a way to elevate and maximize every single moment of your aircraft and travel experience. From the time you step in, have your meal, rest, shower and get back out to your life. Every single moment is so well thought out. It is the ultimate expression when comes to aircraft luxury.
(dramatic music) (thoughtful music) - We started developing this product six years ago when we had multiple mockups between Airbus, ourselves, obviously our flight crews, potential customers, all adding their input to make this product what it is. People who are used to the traditional business jet market are really taken aback when they first come in and turn right to look at the interior and truly take it all in. The cabin size, the acoustic level, everything is what our customers expect in a much larger aircraft. Overall systems complexity, you know, from my standpoint it can become too complex and this strikes the right balance of the latest technology without becoming over complex.
(bell dinging) (engine humming) You know, as you mentioned, we are contracted for 17 of the unique cabins. We don't plan to do one of these every week. What's standing behind me is a complete redo, a clean sheet design. Using technology from the 2000's. And that truly is making it so much different from an efficiency standpoint.
These are bespoke, they are, they are truly high end. They will take time to complete. You're not gonna be able to come into a used aircraft lot and see five of these, ever.
They're standalone products. There's not gonna be that many made. Again, to experience one of these is a treat. - And there was one thing left for us to do and it was for us to fly and experience the ACJ TwoTwenty. (dramatic music) I think this is the smoothest takeoff I've ever experienced in my life, by far. That was insane.
We didn't even feel like the plane was taking off. It's so quiet. (dramatic music) To people out there who've never experienced the ACJ difference, how would you explain that? - For me, because I started my career in very small business jets, It's all about the size. It's the width of that height. When you go side to side and you're still at that two meters or six foot six and you don't have to crouch down when you're sitting in your seat and you stand straight up without hitting your head on a PSU or having to go to the side. To me that is the ultimate value for the end user.
(dramatic music) - So they just set up the dining table for us. Let's go have a look. We have a shrimp salad, salmon plate, caviar, burrata with tomatoes and strawberries, scallops. And what an experience for you to just sit down, relax, enjoy five star service, have a view like this.
This is pretty insane. This plane's level of comfort and quietness compared to a commercial airliner is on a league of its own. Between the amount of space you have to walk around, interact with your friends and family and the amenities you have to provide the ultimate comfort is truly incredible. - [Voice On Radio] Clear to land on the two-.
(bells chiming) - [Voice On Radio 2] 50 40. 30. 20. (airplane engine roaring) (airport pilot speaking) What a flight it was. Pairing this experience with a five star level of service, flexibility to fly wherever you want, whenever you want and the comfort you experience along the way changes your perspective on what a flight can be.
I can really see why people acquire such assets like this and how we would elevate their flying experience and compliment their lifestyle. - As you've seen, we are expanding, we are growing and it's not just based on the ACJ TwoTwenty. In the near term as well, we're also very close to closing the deal on a few more projects that'd be very happy to come back and tell you about as soon as we sign. But overall, Comlux is on a growth trajectory every day since I've been here. And the market is responding to that, filling up our hangar and filling up our future order books accordingly.
So it's very exciting. - The ACJ TwoTwenty is exceptional. The comfort, sophistication and build quality of this plane is unmatched and it really shows itself. It's fascinating that over the past few days that we spent at Comlux facilities, we've gone to take a deep dive into the world of private aviation and see how they manufacture and assemble these jets. For Comlux to be self-sufficient with manufacturing, outfitting and selling these planes is amazing. And to see this many planes being outfitted and customized for their clients in one place is a rare site.
They truly are engineering luxury here and we're excited to be part of it. Special thanks to Comlux for giving us access to their facilities and having us experience their new ACJ TwoTwenty business jet. We look forward to sharing more in the future. And as always, if you enjoy this video, make sure to give us a like, subscribe and we'll see you on the next one. (dramatic music)
2024-09-06 06:08
