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Cramped in an RV!

speyers

speyers

Well Known Member
An acquittance at the local airport gave me a ride in his RV-6 a few weeks ago. I was looking forward to it very much as I want to built and fly an RV some day. :)It was a tip up canopy, and while the view was excellent, much better than any Cessna or Piper, I did find that my headset kept hitting the top and side of the canopy. I am not particularly tall, 6 feet even and 180 lbs, but I was still rubbing shoulders with the pilot and feeling like I had to scrunch down so that I would not hit the canopy. Sitting straight up was not possible!:confused: It got me really thinking about he tandem models and if they would afford more comfort to me and my passengers. Anybody else feel cramped in an RV?
 
Did he remove seat cushion? If not that would have helped.

You may like an RV8(A) better. Try one on for size.
 
try another one for size....just like shoes, some brands fit differently.

I'm 6', my -7 has comfy CAD seats and I need a booster to sit properly AND still have several inches above my head. YMMV
 
I have flown in the back of an 8 and I found the leg room less than adequate... I'm only 5'9" and 180lbs so anyone taller or wider would be really akward in the back seat. The pilot seat though has tons of room :)
 
My son, who is as tall as me, 6'1"...........went for a 30 minute ride in my 6A. Not during the flight, but afterwards, he complained about headroom. It was then, that I noticed the approximately 4" of pads for my wife.......were still in the passenger seat. :eek:

BTW--- I have no problem with headroom, without those extra cushions. I wish I was just 180 lbs too...

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Hmm

I suggest that your host did not do a very good job of fitting you into the airplane. I am 6'4+, 220lb. I fit in my 6 comfortably. I have the rudder petals well forward and have some tall pilot mods, but a 6'er should fit a stock 6 pretty comfortably. Adjusting seat backs and cushion thickness makes a huge difference. Try again after a bit more custom fitting.

I recently rode a 6' 270 lb friend for a 2hr each way flight. Pretty comfy once you'er fitted right and all settled in. Good luck
 
I am 6'2" and I fit just right in my -9. When you have your seats made you can adjust the pad according to your height (or lack thereof).

One thing however, I do hit my head on the canopy in turbulence, but I have a 4-point seat belt harness and I don't know if a 5-point would help, but I think it may.
 
A five point maybe helps a bit but it would be uncomfortably tight to eliminate head bumps in bumps.

I avoid ball caps with buttons on the head!!!
 
L.Adamson said:
BTW--- I have no problem with headroom, without those extra cushions. I wish I was just 180 lbs too...

L.Adamson --- RV6A
Click to expand...

So... are you suggesting that you wished you weighed more? ;)

(spoken from someone for whom 180 is a fond memory)
 
6'5" and plenty of room!

I'm a big guy, 6'5" and 250lbs. My 7 has the seat back bulkhead moved approx. 3" to the rear and slightly thinner seat cushions. With the pedals moved to the farthest forword position, I have my legs flat, no knee's in the panel! Plenty of room over my head and D/C's on. You are going to be rubbing shoulders with and larger folks. No way around it,

Steve
RV-7xl
 
The 7 is different

The 7 has the seat pans lower by 2" to provide more head room. Add in the consideration for cushion thickness and you shouldn't have any problems.
 
I'm 6'3" and I fit fine inside a 7A. I ducked to keep my hair from getting caught when the canopy was closed, but I had not issued with height thereafter, even with the headset.
 
I'm six foot tall, 215 and I have good 3 inches above my head to the canopy. As already mentioned, the -7 has more potential for headroom because of the lower seat pans.

My buddy's -7 I can barely squeeze into because he's about 5'5".

Best bet is to try on an RV that belongs to someone that is a similar size as you.
 
Jamie said:
I'm six foot tall, 215 and I have good 3 inches above my head to the canopy. As already mentioned, the -7 has more potential for headroom because of the lower seat pans.

My buddy's -7 I can barely squeeze into because he's about 5'5".

Best bet is to try on an RV that belongs to someone that is a similar size as you.
Click to expand...

That brings up another important point: the panel, at least on side by side RVs. I'm 6 feet, 200 pounds, with long legs. I've not found canopy clearance to be a problem (short torso, so no surprise) but I've attempted to sit in a few RVs with deeper-than-standard panels, and I can't get my knees under them even with the seat back at its rearmost position. I'm using the as-supplied Vans panel for that reason. For me, cramped legs is a showstopper. If I hadn't tried on an RV with a stock panel and discovered that I fit, I would've passed on building one.
 
speyers said:
......but I was still rubbing shoulders with the pilot......Anybody else feel cramped in an RV?
Click to expand...
Almost all the responses have looked past one component of your question and addressed headroom, a situation that is much easier to deal with than cockpit width. Let's talk about width.

A few days ago, my neighbor expressed an interest in taking flying lessons and asked me how to get started. He seized on my offer to drive to the airport where my RV-6A is based and fly him to a nearby airport and introduce him to the owner of the flying school. It was a cold day. I weigh 195 lbs. and wore a leather jacket, he weighs 220+ lbs. and wore a coat. After climbing aboard, the only headroom issue he had was scrunching down briefly so I could close the slider canopy without bashing his head. I also had to increase the length of his shoulder harness and seat belt to the max limit so he could lock it all in place. Once settled in though, we were definitely rubbing shoulders. The 25 NM mile flight lasted only 10 minutes or so and was no big deal. A 2 or 3 hour cross country enduring that same level of "intimacy" could for some pilots and/or passengers become a big deal.

After a lengthly chat and sizing up the prospective new student, the flying school owner suggested he take flying lessons in a Cessna 172 where he would be more comforable than in the school's C-150, Remos GX, or Evektor Sport Star. Now that's what I call "cutting to the chase."

In all honesty, I don't feel the -6 or -7 series has anymore width advantage than my C-150 did. I often flew that old 150 with larger passengers aboard and you learn to "accomodate." Perhaps you may not be the type of person who wishes to accomodate. In that case opting for the -8 series will provide you with much less intimacy and much more shoulder room. :)
 
I've ridden in some tighter side-by-side aircraft and accomodated the shoulder width by putting my left arm around behind the pilot. Say what you will, but it gets it out of the way of both you and the pilot. Cessna 140's, 150's, Piper Colt, all come to mind as planes that sometimes need this if you have a larger passenger (or pilot).

Can't say i've ever needed, or wanted, to do it in an RV though. Maybe the RV pilots near me are all just skinny people. :)
 
more room

I have only read your thread starter, non of the responses, however if you have the opportunity to sit in a Harmon Rocket or F1 Rocket I think you will like the space. John Harmon got it very right and Mark Frederick built on that with the F1. Of course they are both developments from the RV-4. If you don't need the HP but like the space, I believe one could be built with an 0-320 and a large battery on the firewall. It's the only aircraft that I don't scrape my shins on the panel in. Even C 182's and C 310's twins are cramped by comparison. Passenger space and baggage space however are however a bit lacking by comparison to almost anything else. If VAN must do something new, a side by side 540 Rocket with the short straight wings and lots of leg and head room would be a welcome machine.
 
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