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RV-10 ... good for BIG and small pilots?

Scott Will

Scott Will

Well Known Member
A good friend of mine is seriously thinking about building a -10. Maybe I can help push him over the edge!!

Anyway, his wife is 5' and he is 6'... both are pilots and love to fly. He's concerned about being able for them to be able to fly the plane at will.

I'm not familiar with the -10 (yet I can, after many hours of working on the -7, all you want to know about that model)... how's the seating configured in this model? It appears the seats are on rails. That gives you fore/aft but what about height... it's easy to swap out seat bottoms on the 6/7/9.

Any pics or real life tips to dealing with short and tall pilots on the same craft?
 
The seats in the 10 are on tracks like a car and have about 6 inches of total movement. You can move the rudder bars fore/ aft 1.25 inches as well during the build. You sit much higher and further back from the panel compared to the other RVs.

Probably suit both people in this case with rudder bar aft, 6 footer with seat nearly all the way aft and 5 footer with seat all forward.

These are nice designs. :)
 
I'm 6'4", around 300 lbs (ouch) and I fit well in BOTH the front and back. I couldn't believe it when I sat in the cockpit mockup at Osh a couple of years ago. There is lots of room, and plenty of adjustment.

Cheers
 
Seems like it's no problem for the big guys. But what about the wives who want to fly it as well? How easily can it adapt to shorter pilots?
 
Fit..

I am 6'2" and the 10 is the ONLY plane I have flown (little ones) that I fly with the seat fwd of the aft position! IMHO if U R say 5'4", full rudder throw might be a concern, but the pedals could be adapted and installed further aft, and not molest taller pilots.
This plane adapts to all the passengers I have flown easily for all sizes.
Glen
 
I took some measurements on my 10. I think for someone with average torso and leg lengths and a height of 5 feet, you'd have to certainly install the rudder bars in the aft position, move the one seat forward about 3 inches and raise it about 2 inches to be able to operate the rudder pedals and brakes properly and see over the glareshield. Looks like the one stick would have to be modified to clear the seat/ occupant to get full aft travel also. A bit of work but doable. Alternately if welding skills run in the family, her pedals could be moved aft 3 inches on the bar.

If the wife likes 3 inch platform shoes, this would be a cheaper and easier solution but her seat would still have to be either raised or thicker bottom cushions fitted to see properly.

The 6 footer should be very comfortable with the seat in about the neutral position.

In my 6A, with the seat in the forward set of hinge points, people under about 5 feet 6 need a back cushion boost to reach the pedal properly and get pretty close to the panel.

Everyone at Van's must be tall. Better lots of room than jammed in like some of those composite jobs I suppose.

Can this couple be talked into building his and hers 7As instead? ;) :)
 
Good for ANY pilot

I flew the demo RV-10 at Van's ($50.00!) and I don't think there is any way that you could successfully build it and not find a way to fit in it, regardless of your differential sizes.

It really has the all of the makings of a great airplane.
 
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