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RV 9A - Seats, Sitting Position?

WDD

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Question for the group what is the sitting position for an RV9A?

New pilot, doing some long term planning for getting my own plane in 3 years or so.

Mission will be to take the wife on 2, maybe 3 hour flights from Atlanta to the beach, see the "kids" (they're all over 21), or other places she desires.

Also will fly a bit locally for $200 hamburgers, etc.

RV9A looks to be a great candidate.

Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!
 
The 9 is basically just a 7 with different wings ... for lots of room and a more upright seating position take look at the 14 ... you can build one in 3 years for far less than you'll pay for one right now :eek:
 
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I bought my RV-9A with an "Almost-a-14" mod installed. I don't need that much reclining, but flipping the rear seat hinge down puts me at the same recline as leaving it up without the A-a-14. It sits nice and upright, very comfortable seating position. I found it very comfortable on the 5 hour ferry flight back.

The -9A is a great cross-country airplane. Great performance, very fast, exceptionally economical fuel-wise.
 
Only adjustments are 3 positions of the seat back.. you can move very slightly forward or aft. Mine just stays in the aft. Seats are very comfortable. I got some very high quality memory foam from a place in NC that claims they make cushions for ejection seats in fighters and seats in helicopters and made them myself... you sit low, unlike a Cessna where you sit high. How big are you? Hate to ask but size and weight make a difference in RV.
 
5’11”, 195 lbs. Ive searched “almost a 14” but no results. What area shoul I look in? Thanks
 
Question for the group what is the sitting position for an RV9A?

New pilot, doing some long term planning for getting my own plane in 3 years or so.

Mission will be to take the wife on 2, maybe 3 hour flights from Atlanta to the beach, see the "kids" (they're all over 21), or other places she desires.

Also will fly a bit locally for $200 hamburgers, etc.

RV9A looks to be a great candidate.

Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!

The seating position is closer to that of a Grumman Tiger rather than C172. Sorry I can't comment on the Mooney.

The seat back in the RV is tilted back a bit, but the main difference in the seating position is that the base of the seat is nearer to the floor, so your knees will be higher than your hips. The cross section of the seating picture on the Vans website shows this.

There is also a technique required to get in/out of the RV, it is like lowering down into a bathtub. Seat cushions can make quite a difference for comfort, but after 2 hours in an RV I am really ready to get out. I'm also 5'11" average build.
 
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There is also a technique required to get in/out of the RV, it is like lowering down into a bathtub.

Anti Spat Aero to the rescue again...the Easy Exit Bar is a life-changer in terms of getting in and out. $89, 10 minute installation.

I agree that the quality of the foam in the seat cushions is a very important factor in comfort.
 

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I’m 5’11 and 230. So far my RV9 has been the most comfy cross country hauler I have flown. I have the almost 14 mod as well and it’s just really comfy seating position for me. Longest day I have had in one was 6 hours total flight time. Longest leg was 3.
 
5’11”, 195 lbs. Ive searched “almost a 14” but no results. What area shoul I look in? Thanks

You'll fit perfectly in the -9A. I'm 6'2", 200lbs. My father in law was 5'11, 240lbs. We were pretty tight when we flew together in the 9A, but not uncomfortable. There is actually more room in the 9A than my 6A.
 
Just did 50 hours of flying over 2 weeks. Longest leg about 3.5hr which is about the max I like to extend the fuel. 6+ hrs in 1 day were not a problem.

If you sit in 1 don't judge the RV based on 1 plane, they can be setup very different for rudder pedal location to seat position, and seats themself.

I am 6'4" 250lbs and fly regularly with people near my size. Rudder pedals are far forward, almost 14 mod but honestly don't have it reclined all the way.
 
You'll fit perfectly in the -9A. I'm 6'2", 200lbs. My father in law was 5'11, 240lbs. We were pretty tight when we flew together in the 9A, but not uncomfortable. There is actually more room in the 9A than my 6A.

My son is 6' 5" and 220...he fits perfectly with the bottom seat custhion all the way back and the almost-a-14 seat back at its max recline.
 
How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney?
Disclaimer: My only experience with a 9 is sitting the factory plane once.

I found the seating position much closer to a Mooney than a Skylane. That being said, I wouldn't rule any airplane on or off your list until you go ride in it. RV owners love their planes and love to show them off and love to introduce other pilots to the RV community. Shouldn't be hard to find a -7 or -9 owner in your area who would be willing to take you on a flight when the time comes to start seriously looking for a plane.
 
I'm 6'2" and 195 pounds. I have the rudder pedals all the way forward and the seat back set all the way back. You can rest the seat back on the bulkhead, or use the seat back brace to sit more erect. You can adjust the amount of seat padding to give you more height, or less. The rudder pedals can be moved easily, but you will need to fabricate new links for the cables. The seat pan has 3 different locations you can use. Between the two, you can go for long legs to short and accommodate a variety of torsos. For best visibility, you probably don't want to be sitting too low to see over the panel and sides.

I don't feel cramped at all once seated. The hardest part is just getting in and out of the seat! I need to try the anti-splat easy exit bar mod.

The almost-a-14 mod lays back the seat much more. This makes it a bit roomier for guys with a big gut to not be right up against the control stick, and it provides more headroom to the canopy. This will decrease your visibility over the cowling and sides. If you have a slider canopy, the installation is easier than trying to do the mod on a tilt up. In all of the sliders I've flown in, I tend to get hit in the head when opening/closing the slider. This isn't an issue with the tip-up (which is why I built mine that way).
 
Between cushions, hinge position, and recline adjuster there is a large amount of flexibility with seat position.

I thought I was going to install the almost-a-14 mode because I like sitting reclined, but just move the seat back to the most forward hinge. I'm 6-1 230.
 
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