Qinetiq provides a sound system

Trim panel speaker (TPS) technology from

has been selected as a feature of the all-new cabin interior of the

Challenger 300 super midsize business jet.

Qinetiq's TPS, which produces a surround sound effect by turning aircraft trim panels into speakers, has been incorporated into the Lufthansa Technik's (LHT) Networked Integrated Cabin Equipment (NICE) platform which is now standard on the Challenger 300 aircraft.

Digital surround sound is distributed through Qinetiq TPS speakers, which are integrated within the cabin sidewalls. Qinetiq claims this offers a cleaner look as well as a more complete and evenly distributed auditory experience.

In October 2003, Lufthansa Technik and Qinetiq signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the purpose of taking advanced technology into cabin system solutions in jets

The adoption of TPS on the Bombardier Challenger 300 follows the installation of the technology onboard two Boeing BBJ business jets and the upper deck of a 747.

Ron Van Manen, Director of Civil Aeronautics at Qinetiq, said: ‘TPS delivers better sound quality than conventional speakers, making muffled or ear-piercing audio announcements a thing of the past. The technology has its foundations in Qinetiq's military aerospace heritage, but its future lies in the commercial world.’

In addition to TPS technology, Qinetiq and LHT have also been investigating improvements to cabin interior noise through the deployment of a range of technologies to reduce a broad spectrum of aircraft cabin sound.