Fancy lowering yourself onto a stunning red napa leather sofa, nestling in the heart of an erstwhile 18-foot drop tank from a MiG-21 fighter jet? Or playing roulette on a MiG Spinning Compressor Rotor Table? Or penning your thoughts on the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI FlapDesk? Akshay Sharma, Founder, WoodFeather, brings jaw-dropping luxury aviation décor pieces in his latest collection, AIRBORN.
Shaped with relics of abandoned jets and commercial worldwide piece—from cool collectibles, and bespoke furniture, to darling inclusions for your den—brings in a slice of history from the skies. A MiG-21 afterburner morphs into a sophisticated conference table. A vintage run in the rare 45-year-old Boeing 747 window panel, featuring Air India’s Maharaja paint scheme, functions as a conversation starter. Retrieved from a retired Boeing 747-200, VT-EGB ‘Mahendra Vardhan’ introduced in 1979, the piece breathes heritage through the signature jharokha windows.
Engine turbines and wheels from decommissioned aeroplanes emerge in skilfully shaped coffee tables that come with elegant bar trolleys from galley carts. “AIRBORN is more than just a furniture collection; it’s a living tribute to the historic legacy of flight,” says Sharma, who made his love for planes power his profession in 2016.
“This collection brought in multiple challenges: Sourcing parts was tough as fighter jet components are difficult to come by. There is no organised industry for acquiring parts from decommissioned aircrafts. Working with these materials forms the second big challenge. For example, even a small loose rivet in the body of an aircraft can pose serious risks if it enters the engine, potentially causing a fire. Superalloys and metals used in engine parts represent some of the finest metallurgy known to mankind.
Traditional tools, polishes, cutters and grinders aren’t compliant with these materials and often burn out quickly,” he explains.
The AIRBORN collection upcycles aircraft components, preserving their original story, colours, marks, dents, burns, and patinas. WoodFeather as a brand is committed to focussing on Indian aviation heritage and only sources from retired commercial aircrafts or iconic fighter jets that have been let go by the Indian Air Force.
“Every discard isn’t compliant with our requirements, from the point of using it as a décor piece,” says Sharma. “Only select parts can be channelled into décor items. This includes pistons, rings, gears, knobs, afterburners, drop tanks and the prices could commence at Rs 10,000 and go beyond 20 lakhs for each discard. The material varies from piece to piece, and my only focus is to buy a piece that can be restored,” he says.
