I bought my plane built. It didn’t come with a crotch strap. I called crow and they sold them to me for $14 per. I removed the seat panels and the infrastructure, as well as the bolts, were already there. It took about 30 minutes total to install them. Easy as pie. The seat pan and the seat, both have openings for the strap to pass through.
Vans sells a kit to retrofit a crotch strap in their webstore.
5th pt. installation kit, RV-7/7A, RV-9/9A both seats CROTCH STRAP KIT $36.00
It will work in an RV-6/6A with some TLC.
Cheers!
I used the 7/9 kit on my 6A. I had to cut off one side and replace it with some angle
Could you just run the crotch strap forward those few inches, under the seat cushion, and then pull it up in the notch in the cushion for the control stick.
For Cole, the OP, pictures I grabbed from either someone's build blog or a prior thread, I don't remember which.
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This picture shows the distance from the crotch strap exit, to the control stick hole I was talking about in my prior post.
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You could but the strap would loose some of it's effectiveness in keeping the lap belt down and tight. Do you have an upholstery shop near that could advise you on installing a slit in your seat cushion?
The crotch strap is very effective in keeping you seated down & clear of the canopy in real bumpy air, but it must control the lap belt from movement to do this.
For Cole, the OP, pictures I grabbed from either someone's build blog or a prior thread, I don't remember which.
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This picture shows the distance from the crotch strap exit, to the control stick hole I was talking about in my prior post.
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For those of you who have retrofitted a crotch strap into a flying RV6: how did you handle the already upholstered seat cushion?
It looks to me like the Van's kit would set the crotch strap coming out of the seat pan several inches aft of the control stick hole, necessitating a hole in the seat cushion.
Pictures I've seen of planes where the crotch strap was installed during the build, all have nice holes in the seat cushion done at time of upholstering.
Could you just run the crotch strap forward those few inches, under the seat cushion, and then pull it up in the notch in the cushion for the control stick.
I like the crotch strap. In flight, it keeps the lap strap low on my hips, and prevents it from riding up.
And in the event of a "sudden stop" it prevents "submarining", where you slide under your lap strap in a crash.
I see no downside. YMMV
On the 9A, the crotch strap for my Crow harnesses bolts between two cross stringers right behind the stick. I found the crotch straps to be a nuisance on my non-aerobatic airplane and never used them...removed both at condition inspection. Not hard to get to in order to install or remove as long as the floor is out.
Exactly why I'm installing a 5 point in mine as soon as it gets home. Regarding the latching mechanism, has anyone seen any research if one of these is better than the other? I've used the flip-over latch in the military and also have used the twist-off type when I flew civilian helicopters. Haven't decided which to buy yet.
Nobody ever does......Submarining? Don't plan on testing that out.....
I love my flip-over (h***-for-stout) Hookers. There is nothing like that reassuring CLICK when that lever is snapped into place. IMHO; there are many posters very satisfied by the Crow twist-off type. Personal preference. It is what I have always used. Cub has them as well.....
Anyone who doesn't think a crotch strap is necessary has apparently not flown through Wyoming. That 5th strap keeps the other 4 exactly where they need to be! Submarining? Don't plan on testing that out.....
IMHO; there are many posters very satisfied by the Crow twist-off type. Personal preference. It is what I have always used. Cub has them as well.....