Duncan Aviation is excited to showcase a Hawker 800XP following a complete refurbishment by the team of experts at its full-service facility in Battle Creek, Michigan. The aircraft recently left having received engine inspections, airframe maintenance, winglets, Gogo Avance L5, a stand by instrument replacement and a stunning paint and interior overhaul.

The owner wanted a clean, sleek and modern interior, so project manager Carie Bruss, who was a lead designer at the time, gave the aircraft a 'showroom' look by including white upholstery, dark woodwork paired with white-gold accents, and LED lighting.

Bruss was presented a photo of an interior colour palette and seat design that the owner was drawn to from a different airframe. She took that inspiration and put her own spin on it by creating a diamond pattern design and modified the pulls and stitching so that it was tailored more towards the owner's particular seat frame and achieved what he was after.

There was a veneer trim piece on the lower sidewalls that the owner wanted the Duncan Aviation team to remove and replace with a plated trim piece. Technicians milled grooves into an aluminium strip to achieve an updated look.

While the cabinetry may appear black at first glance, it is actually a very dark chocolate-brown. The sunlight reveals the warm undertones of the veneer, preventing the interior from feeling too cold. The aft lav countertop received a hydrographic finish treatment with a white marble pattern, and Prizm colour-changing LED lighting was also installed.

The owner knew he wanted the exterior to complement the interior, and already had an idea for a paint scheme. He came to the Duncan Aviation design team for guidance on the final greys to use for the stripes, and the scheme they landed on was a white fuselage with a dark grey tail and horizontal stab. Flowing grey stripes on the fuselage and tail help visually lengthen the aircraft and tie in the interior colour palette.

“This Hawker has had by far one of the most stunning interior and exterior colour palettes,” says Bruss.

Jack Bauder, who was a lead designer at the time and assisted with this project, says when the aircraft was delivered it was completely unrecognisable compared to its condition at input: “If I hadn't been a part of the project, I wouldn't have believed it's the same aircraft. The transformation was that dramatic.”