Thoughts on sheepskin seats?

[dwranda]

Even though I am a ways off from needing seats, I love looking at all the beautiful interior pics that are being posted lately. I love the look of leather, but it won't be going in my plane because the wife dislikes it very much. I also don't like a sweaty back from a hot seat. I haven't really seen a fabric seat that looks anything close to as nice as leather. I am wondering about sheepskin. I haven't flown on sheepskin seats and would like to hear some opinions on them.
I would like to hear about comfort vs cloth or leather, how it feels in different temps. I live in the north so cold weather is an issue. Would seat heaters be good in them or not really needed? Are they too warm in hotter temps?
Thanks in advance!!

[wingnut49b]

They are used EXTENSIVELY in airline cockpits, and I like it. Lots of different people, lots of temp extremes, and you never think about them. Taken for granted is nice in this scenario.

They don't look nearly as cool as leather though...

[rv7charlie]

I assume that you mean sheepskin with the wool still on them, and not just skins. The Luscombe that taught me to fly had 'strap-on' sheepskin for most of the time I flew it, summer & winter. Never felt particularly hot, even in Mississippi summer weather.

I eventually removed them, because they were bulky & hard to keep in place, since there were just a few elastic straps holding them on.

I would have misgivings about them in an RV, because you must stand on the seats to get in/out of the plane and they would fill up with dirt & grit fairly quickly.

BTW, some small strips of those seat covers eventually became pads for headbands of my headsets. MUCH more comfortable than even the silicone filled pads on some headsets, and would make even David Clarks tolerable (on the top of my head; they were never tolerable on/around my ears).

Charlie

[vic syracuse]

We have them in our RV-10 and love them, in all seasons.

Vic

[olyolson]

David,

You should give DJ a call at Cleveland Tool. She makes seats for RVs and made a set for my RV-4. I had the same thoughts as you about leather but she has a fabric style that is faux leather. It looks like leather, feels like leather but breathes like a cloth seat. It is durable and really looks good. I fly with shorts in the summer and even when the sun is beating down on the seats you can just jump right in and the seats will not scorch your thighs. It is as durable as marine vinyl but it really does look like leather.

http://www.bracketsweb.com/rvinteriors/

Oly

[Carl Froehlich]

+1 on calling DJ at Cleaveland Tool.

Don't shy away from the cloth seats. I had leather in one car and hated them. I put cloth sets from DJ in the RV-8A 14 years ago and they still look like the day I put them in. I used DJ for the cloth seats in the RV-10 as well (flying 4 years now). I'll do the same for the new RV-8 project.

Carl

[jrs14855]

Article on new high dollar corporate jets, new Gulfstreams etc. Thin layer of breathable foam, described as honeycomb, over main foam and then perforated vinyl upholstery.
I really like sheepskin.
There is a company in San Jose CA area that does very nice permanent sheepskin installations.

[DHeal]

Really thick sheepskin covers may reduce headroom somewhat (e.g., top of headset rubbing on canopy). Comfy though!

[David Paule]

Sheepskin is the finest seat covering you can get, in my opinion. I have that in my C-180. And I'll have that in my RV-3B when I get that far.

Dave

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by rv7charlie

I would have misgivings about them in an RV, because you must stand on the seats to get in/out of the plane and they would fill up with dirt & grit fairly quickly.
Charlie

I'm with Charlie. You'll be standing on the seats getting in and out....your passengers will be standing on the seats getting in and out. You can't avoid that. I use a towel most of the time in my RV7A to protect my leather seats but sometimes it's just too much of a hassle, particularly with a passenger, and the seats get stood on directly. I'd reckon sheepskin would look dirty and trashy very quickly if you start standing on them.

I've had sheepskin seat covers in other aircraft and they were fine... but I wasn't standing on them.