This SkyCart™ was designed and built to fly high in the sky on board of an airliner. But it never will. I will display it’s highly sophisticated but minimalistic design and extraordinary craftmanship in someone’s home or office. Someone who loves aviation and feels that that the sky is not the limit . Maybe someone who feels the sky is home…
A SkyCart™ is very light. Aboard an airplane every ounce counts. But it is also unbelievably robust. The empty weight of a SkyCart™ is only about 29 and a half pounds (without accessories). In the airline world the maximum weight is 132 pounds, as mandated by the FAA. But this is not the load that the SkyCart™ is designed for. Regulations require that an airline trolley withstands accelerations of 10G up and down and 9G horizontally. The design has been tested to 10.05G vertically and 9.05G horizontally. That translates to 1,327 lbs. or 1,254 lbs. respectively.
It was built to the demanding regulatory standards created to keep airline travel safe. Not only the airliner itself but every piece of equipment on board is subject to tough standards. In the US, it is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which enforces that all regulations are met. In the case of an airline trolley, it is “Technical Standard Order” (TSO) C-175, Galley Carts and Containers which defines all the conditions a galley cart must meet before it can be considered to serve passengers aboard an airliner.
It rolls around easily on four fully swiveling wheels pairs (castering wheels). Each one of these wheel sets is fitted with a brake assembly. The brake can be set for all four wheels with a light step on the red pedal. The green pedal releases all four brakes.
The door can be opened and locked securely. The contents can be protected with a small pad lock. When the door is fully opened, it will be held open in this position by magnet. A feature which is very important when the open galley cart is moved up and down the aisle of an airliner.
At the top, just above the door, is the “Dry Ice Drawer”. An aluminum drawer for dry ice. It will keep the main compartment cool for quite some time. Especially as most sidewalls are made from composite material, aluminum panels with insulating foam inside.
Please take a look at the video. You will notice that there are no sharp corners anywhere. They are made from carefully machined aluminum. Once in a while, aboard an airliner, a passenger’s knee or elbow can get in the way of a food cart. If that happens, it may hurt. But no serious injuries need to be expected. Every corner is well rounded off.