[Craig]

I'm just about done fitting the aft seat back.

When everything is in the correct alignment, there is about a quarter inch gap between the forward face of the fiberglass and the aft face of the seat pan side rails. I wish I had another RV-8 around here to look at.

But, since I don't, what have others done about this gap?

Craig

 

[sf3543]

There shouldn't be a gap. Align everything in the plane before you start drilling and they should come out all right.
You may need to trim either the fiberglass, or the aluminum, or both, to make it fit, but you have to decide how perfect you want to make it.
A gap there probably isn't a big deal, but it doesn't look as nice as a close fit.

 

[Chino Tom]

Gap

Mine fits flush along most of the seat. Near where it is attached to the seat back, there is a small gap. After I riveted the fiberglass to the seatback, I used a heat gun along the corners of the fiberglass to make it fit better. Also, got to believe when someone starts sitting in the seat it is going to change anyway.

 

[Craig]

I don't see any way around having a gap there. The flange on the fiberglass part is shorter than the flange on the seat side rail. There is no way to change either dimension.

Craig

 

[Ironflight]

If I understand you Craig, I probably had a similar gap. Tolerance stack-up, and all. I found that it was really easy to fill the gaps and make the seat back look good with some epoxy, flox, and micro. It covers many sins....Make it string, then make it look good, and you'll be OK.

If I have misunderstood, go ahead and post a picture, and we can re-evaluate...

Paul

 

[Craig]

I think you understood. Here's a picture. I was thinking of a microballoon fillet.

Well, I can't post the picture. Do you have to be a member at a different level?


Craig

 

[Craig]

I searched this site on how to upload pictures. Kind of a pain.

Try this:

 

[sf3543]

I had the same problem, and as I said earlier, you will need to trim and fit.
What I did to solve the problem was to split the seat back so I could pull the front part out and then fill the void with glass and epoxy.
I did this by drilling the two rivet hoiles, per side, and clecoed the parts together. This leaves a gap, where the fiberglass part was split, which you can now fill with expoxy. I used packing tape as a release agent on the aluminum piece. Then I glassed it. Next day, take it all apart, sand and shape. Then finish fill with more epoxy.
It took a couple of days, but I got a perfectly flush fit.
My kit was an earlier one, so this was only one of many adjustments I had to work with. Maybe the newer kits are better.

 

[Craig]

O.K.

Thanks

 

[sf3543]

You will probably also have to trim an angle on the aluminum side rail so that everything lays flat on the back bulkhead.
Good luck.

 

[Wicked Stick]

I searched this site on how to upload pictures. Kind of a pain.

Try this:

Trim the metal where it contacts the bulkhead so that the seat sits back further at an angle and it will come in contact better with the fiberglass part.

I have also seen where builders will place one or two rivets in that area to help keep it together in that area, but you first have to build up a wedge shim on the back side.

 

[Craig]

Here's where I ended up with this. I made a tapered block of basswood to fill the gap, and fiberglassed it in place.

Here's what it looks like after filling:

Craig