Cabin comfort

[speyers]

Was curious as to the comfort level of an RV side-by-side cabin. How similar in space is it to a C-172 or a C-150. I remember training in a C-150 were you have to syncronize breathing to not bust the doors off the thing. How much more room is there in the RV's? Not keen on always rubbing sholders so would the tandem -4 or -8 be the way to go? Thanks for the input.

[Mel]

The RV-6,7,9 cabin width is 43". If I remember right the C-172 is 40 or 41".
And I believe the C-150 is closer to 38".

[dpansier]

I just measured the elbow width on my 7 at 43".
Contrast this size to several of the popular twins from 1981 manufacturer brochures.

Beech Baron B55 42", B58 42"
Piper Aztec 45"
Piper Seneca III 49"
Cessna T303 48"
Cessna 340 46.5"

And a small car
VW new beetle 52"


Don
RV-7 finish kit

[hevansrv7a]

I have a C-150 and a -7A. The RV has enough extra width to make it comfortable. I agree about how tight the 150 is. I admit, I'm slim, but I've had some passengers with extra width. In the 150, the seats have zero gap between them. In the RV, you have the width of the flap mechanism tower. Also in the RV you have another inche or so for the outboard elbow. I think the seats widths are pretty similar, but have not measured. I also have more room between me and the panel in the RV.

[mark manda]

If you're a size 54" I'd consider an 8.
IMHO

I'm a 6ft 2, 230 and I always bump shoulders unless it's a 170lb or less pilot. Non pilots always bump shoulders, pilots seem to know how to sit just right.

But sometimes you have to have a side by side for family reasons.

7a

[777Dave]

Went for a fam ride at Vans last week and was interested to see how much elbow room there was.
Ken took me up in an RV-9A. He's a pretty big guy... about 6'2" maybe 210lbs and I am 5' 11" and 175lbs. We both had pretty heavy coats and while it was tight it was not uncomfortable.
My wife wants side by side and she is 5'6", 150lbs so I think the -7 or -9 will work fine for us.

Dave
Still thinking.

[cytoxin]

sat in mine the other day to set the rudder pedals and found that gear tower to be a pain in the leg. how does this work out in flight for those a drivers

[Mel]

I think it has a lot to do with the length of you legs. I'm 5'4" and short legged. The gear towers of the A model bother me quite a bit. Longer legged people don't seem to mind.

[Bob Brown]

I think you need to have all your final installs in place before you assess the fit. I never had everything in place until I installed the seat covers and floor panels in my 7A. The geometry of the seat pads has a lot to do with how much interference you'll feel from the gear leg towers. FWIW, Luke at Classic Aero Designs has a nifty molded fiberglass cover that fits over the gear leg tower and is finished with vinyl and carpet to match the rest of your interior. Although I installed the complete interior kit (the gray and red interior on CAD's site), they may sell you just the gear covers alone. Besides looking great, they make a big difference in comfort. I highly recommend them.

[mark manda]

that's interesting Mel. I have much longer legs probably, I really like the looks and the function of my Classic Aero gear covers, people step on them for getting in. (although the big bolt without a cover offers good grip)

I've noticed that what bothers me are my calves after an hour or two.

I have also noticed that my seats restrict a bit of movement and if passengers have large legs-- restricts left and right movement. i.e. most guys 260lb or greater will get stick slapped or bumped. I removed my passenger seats completely the other day and it was like I had a new airplane, I got another inch or two of stick travel and lots of stick force went away.

Also, when I ride as a passenger-- you have to keep your feet on the pedal, or one in the middle and the other on the pedal or slightly off of it. If the passenger has long legs, it's not comfortable raising them up and back.

Definitely not comfortable like a Cessna 182-- but these don't fly like a Peterbuilt either. After flying the RV, I can't understand how my 182 stays in the air. It's so HEAVY. And it won't turn downwind to base either. And my Cessna 140, that thing frightens me now. With 90hp, I don't see how IT stays in the air.

Geez, Van has spoiled us.