Aerobatic worthy Harness

Quick question.

Is a 4 point Hooker Harness fine for gentleman aerobatics?
I don’t plan on cruising around inverted for a lengthy time, just long enough to roll right side up after immelman’s, Cuban eights, etc.

Thank you for your input.

I’d vote no. Just add the fifth point and fly on.

I even did Hooker five points in the RV-10 and glad I did.

Carl

Just a little negative....

makes me slide up a some. I always feel like I'm gonna shoot out the canopy.... Just me but, I put "Hooker 5 point DBL waist with ratchet" in the front, "Hooker 5 point Sport" in the back...... When I'm ratcheted in, I feel like part of the plane.....

Just my $0.02 here. You probably don't need the crotch strap for the aerobatic maneuvers you described. However, the fifth strap is recommended to avoid "submarining" through the bottom of the lap belt during a forced landing sudden deceleration. It's a good safety feature and easy to install.

Instal the crotch strap...

In my experience the crotch strap keeps the belt / hip geometry set and is great for all phases of flight. I have been in a couple of RVs without a crotch strap and I did not care for it at all...

What I’m understanding

From what I understand a crotch strap (5 point harness)
is not necessary for the gentleman aerobatics I am
looking to perform.
However, it would be a desirable feature to have in the
event of a sudden stop in order to prevent “Submarining”.

Thank you for your input everyone.

+1 on the 5-point Hookers.

When I bought my plane it had 4 point. When I re-did the interior I got colour matched 5-point Hookers (latching) through Classic Aero.

Look great, very secure, and my biased opinion is that it worth the time and money.

The 5 point is much more comfortable, but I am a fan of Crow belts. Had 3 sets so far and all super comfy and cheaper than Hooker last time I looked.

I have the Crow 5 point. Awesome quality.
Outside of gentleman airbatics, think about turbulence. You'll be glad with the crotch strap keeping your butt nice and solid on the seat.

5 Point!

I installed a Crow 5 point system in both seats of our RV-6 after reading an accident report where the pilot reported being forced to park a -6 in a trailer park. When the noise stopped, he was in the baggage compartment. I never learned if his seatbelt was still fastened, but this accident is what prompted me to add the crotch belt attach points and the 5 point belts, aside from doing aerobatics. Vans makes kits for the center attach points, although there’s no kit specifically for the -6 and I had to tweak a -7 kit for our airplane. The 5 point belts feel a whole bunch more secure than the 4 point. Anyway, to answer the question, a 4 point is pretty much OK for gentleman akro, but if you’re changing a harness, this would be a great time to add the antisubmarine belt. My humble opinion.