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RV-9A Pilot's Seat Position

Sunriver Ken

Well Known Member
I am working with Oregon Aero to create a new pilot's seat bottom and back for my recently purchased RV-9A. OE seems to think I should be sitting lower than I like. I previously asked about spacing between my head or top of my headset and the canopy and have decided I want at least 2". With that spacing I can see quite a bit of the front cowl top. When I go with what OE thinks is "standard" I have about 4" between headset and canopy and cannot see any of the top of the cowl. I am only using the amount of top cowl you can see as a reference as I don't really care if I can see it or not but it does give a perspective of how high you are sitting without including the headset which varies with type headset.

So how much of the cowl top, if any, can other owners see after the cushion has a chance to compress?

Thanks, Ken
 
Ken,

I just added some foam padding under the seat to adjust to my comfort level. This was after the fact. I can see the entire front cowl top. I probably have 2-3 inches of headroom, but have never measured it.

greg
 
Set the Way You Want it

Put your eyeballs where you want them, you can always slouch in the bumps.

Hans
 
...When I go with what OE thinks is "standard" I have about 4" between headset and canopy and cannot see any of the top of the cowl. ...
Rvator says that's too much.....
It recommends a number more like what you like....

When we isntalled the hinge pins for the seat, we moved the front one a inch behing the rear one...
 
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Depends

Hi, Im considering to build a RV9. Im 6'7". Will i fit?

Thanks
Rob

You can probably find a number of posts on this topic by searching the forums. The real question is, "WHERE is your height?" I'm just under 6'1", but my inseam is 28", so I may be even taller than you in a seating position. My head is close to the canopy and I have to wear a headset with a thin band. On the other hand, my rudder pedals are located in an aft position.
Find an nearby RV (they're at more airports than you think) and ask the owner if you can try in on (7 and 9 share the same fuselage). Try both slider and tipup. Keep in mind while you're building, there is probably enough plexi to make the canopy about an inch taller than plans.
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP
 
Ken,
I think 2" is about what I have and I can see all of my top cowl. I use the clarity headsets and another advantage to them is you can raise up another inch or so without the std headset on your head. Sitting tall gives you a better view of everything so get as high as you comfortably can and when it gets bumpy just tighten down those belts.

I love my OA seats, I told them how much to add (2" to mine and 4" to my wife's) bottom seat cushion when I had them made, not the other way around. :cool:
 
dwell time on temperfoam

how long did you sit in the seat? I find I start with zero headset clearance, then after 20 min, I have an inch, and on landing have to crane my neck to taxi!
I am constantly hitting my head on the canopy, and I'm 5' 10" ish with a 32" inseam.....but I like to see over the cowl, so keep my stock cushions shimmed up a bit with black insulating foam slices.
I wonder how guys with the Bose top hinge heaset design aren't carving up their canopies???? I had to remove the big foam wrap affair, then put an slimmer 1/4" foam strip on my Flightcom Denali to protect my canopy.
I wonder if there are any 'tall guy' builders who have installed the canopy/windshield bow modified to be an inch higher?
 
This week I flew from central Oregon to Phoenix (5.6 hrs) with the new Oregon Aero seat. They seemed O.K. but not "Oh Boy/$350+" great. I think I need a little more adjustment. There certainly are at least three aspects of the decision on the seats. The first is your in-seam and the second is your actual trunk height. The third is what you want to see while inflight. I moved the rudder pedals forward from the position they were in when I bought the plane (I think I have one more hole left if more forward is needed but it seems good now). Not a hard job as the required holes were already drilled. I moved the piano hinge for the seat back forward to the middle set of holes which gave me a little more back angle for comfort but that also reduced the leg room a little. I had OA really thin out the back cushion while leaving in the lumbar support. The top of the seat back support is as far aft as it will go.

I want to see a lot of the top of the cowl so will be increasing the sitting height more via spacer. That will still leave me with about 2" of canopy clearance using my Bose. I bought the Quiet Tech headset but will send it back as it looks like the Bose will fit and I like flying with them.

So now I just have to finalize the rudder petal to brake pedal relationship (looks like 1/2" spacers at bottom of brake/rudder frame will work) and I think I am good to go.

Thanks for all your input and feedback, Ken
 
This week I flew from central Oregon to Phoenix (5.6 hrs) with the new Oregon Aero seat. They seemed O.K. but not "Oh Boy/$350+" great. I think I need a little more adjustment. There certainly are at least three aspects of the decision on the seats. The first is your in-seam and the second is your actual trunk height. The third is what you want to see while inflight. I moved the rudder pedals forward from the position they were in when I bought the plane (I think I have one more hole left if more forward is needed but it seems good now). Not a hard job as the required holes were already drilled. I moved the piano hinge for the seat back forward to the middle set of holes which gave me a little more back angle for comfort but that also reduced the leg room a little. I had OA really thin out the back cushion while leaving in the lumbar support. The top of the seat back support is as far aft as it will go.

I want to see a lot of the top of the cowl so will be increasing the sitting height more via spacer. That will still leave me with about 2" of canopy clearance using my Bose. I bought the Quiet Tech headset but will send it back as it looks like the Bose will fit and I like flying with them.

So now I just have to finalize the rudder petal to brake pedal relationship (looks like 1/2" spacers at bottom of brake/rudder frame will work) and I think I am good to go.

Thanks for all your input and feedback, Ken

Adding to what Ken stated, with some other things to consider.

We build racecars, and for every sale, we have to "fit" a driver into the car.

A tall thin guy and a shorter heavy guy, will basically need the seat in the same position. The reason being; The extra "meat" on the heavy guy will pump him up in the seat, as well as push him forward.

Do not doubt the seat belts will stretch on impact. The heavier the guy, the more they will stretch. In racecars we have to allow about 4".

In a aircraft we seem to adjust the belts to be as tight as possible, but still be able to reach and adjust everything. But in a racecar everything is positioned within easy arms length, so the belts can be tightened as tight as possible (the saying is; If you can still breath, they are not tight enough). And we still have to allow for stretch.

Bob
 
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Sitting Height

I feel that I'm sitting a bit low. Have lots of headroom and can see none of the cowl (am 5'10"). Want to shim the seat cushion from underneath.

For those have done this successfully, did you just add material to the flat part of the floor, or did you also add material to the sloped under thigh area?

Walt Aronow, Are your Oregon Aero bottom seat cushions 2" thicker from front to rear, or does the added thickness taper toward the front? Same question about your wife's 4" thicker cushion.

Thanks all.

Cheers, David
RV-6A
 
Flightline Interiors...

...simply makes trapezoidal wedges that sit on the floor and are shaped to follow the slope of the seat back and floor slope up towards the stick. You simply tell them how much extra height you want and they send a new booster cushion. I can't imagine that Oregon Aero couldn't do something like that. I got a variety of heights to allow for different heights in the copilot seat for friends who like to fly with me.

For my own cushions (I'm 5'5", 28" inseam), I have both the small booster cushion on the floor and a full sized booster in the middle that is the same lateral dimensions as the actual seat cushion but a bit thinner and made out of harder foam and finished more simply. The final, top seat cushion is therefore the 3rd cushion.

I agree with you wanting to be as high as possible and seeing the cowl.
 
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Buy some Confor foam in the 1" Green (firm) sheet.

I cut this to shape and placed it under the Oregon Aero seat cushion. I only used a 1" piece in my RV9A. I have about 2" clear below the canopy and have not hit the canopy in either a helmet or David Clark headset (so far).

The foam piece sits in the pan under the OA cushion between the seatback and the front incline. The foam is easy to cut if you cool it in the refrigerator first. While cold it is fairly easy to cut straight lines and angles.
By the way, the Confor foam does not deform very much under the OA cushion, however, sit on it alone and you will settle about 50%.

Fairly inexpensive way to determine where you want your head to be and what sight picture you like.

Then spend money for a more elegant solution.
 
OA has booster pads. They are the black solid style and work nice for adding height for younger and/or shorter people.
I recommend when the seats are cold sit so that your hand will pass between the canopy and headset, when your butt warms up the seat the clearance will be perfect, about 2 hands clearance. This will happen during taxi, doesn?t take long.
:)) Larry
 
almost a -14 mod

since nobody mentioned it yet, I think the big secret of this mod is that you can put a lot more foam under your butt, for comfort, without your head hitting the canopy....and adjust the seatback for best comfort, sightlines, etc.

find one in your area and try it, I'll bet you can find the perfect fit!

( note: I don't have this mod.....yet!)
 
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