J

J5Cub

Active Member
I was looking at an RV4 today and was surprised how little leg room there was in this particular aircraft. I have sat in RV4s before and didn't have any problem but in this one my knees were up against the bottom of the panel. Is it possible to adjust the legroom in the RV4 by moving the pedals forward and how much of a job is it?


Thanks,
Greg
 
You could lengthen the two steel brackets on the outside of each rudder pedal that connect the rudder pedal to the rudder cable as long as the rudder pedals dont hit the firewall in front of them. The other option is to move the seat position back. The front seat rests against the roll bar though so if you move the seat back, you will be sitting more upright unless you move the roll bar back too and that can get complicated.
 
Legroom in the 4

I have found that many builders have varying seat cushion heights. In many cases there are several removeable layers of cushions to accomodate pilots and passengers of different builds. It can make a huge difference. I am 6'1" and found my knees to be hitting the bottom of the panel in one particular 4. Once I removed one of two cushions from the seat bottom and one from the seat back I had far more room. Very comfortable.
 
61Flyguy said:
I have found that many builders have varying seat cushion heights. In many cases there are several removeable layers of cushions to accomodate pilots and passengers of different builds. It can make a huge difference. I am 6'1" and found my knees to be hitting the bottom of the panel in one particular 4. Once I removed one of two cushions from the seat bottom and one from the seat back I had far more room. Very comfortable.
Click to expand...
I played with the cushions some. There was 2 cushions on the bottom, one filling the depression behind the spar with about 1" on top of the spar. The other was about 1" - 2" thick and I removed that. The cushion on the back was maybe 1 1/2 inch thick and I wasn't sure how much less I could go with any comfort at all.

Thanks for the responses, I was kind of hoping maybe the cables could be lengthened or something simple like that. No such luck.

Greg
 
Since i have never been in a -4 Whats the back seat like? You say your 6'1 and can fit comfortably in front with the proper set up. Is the back seat similar in size?
david
 
RV-4 seating comfort

In the 4's that I have been in some were very tight in the back seat, others were fine for me (6'-1", 190 lbs.). Some 4's have rear rudder pedals, some don't. Some have foot wells, some don't. As I mentioned previously the seat cushions also vary greatly. All that said, I would MUCH rather be stuffed into a 4 than have a bunch more room in some spam can Cessna/Piper, etc.!
 
RV4 Leg room

I am only six feet tall but have very long legs. This has been a life long problem for me because my waste is 31 inches and my inseam length is 33 to 34 inches. I can?t purchase low priced slacks at WalMart, Target, etc. I have to purchase my casual dress slacks from Nordstrom because they are one of the few stores that carry my size. I have not made any modifications to the RV4 design. For the seat back pad I am using a single one inch thick layer of Comforfoam, medium density. It's plenty of padding and puts me back just about right. I consulted with the great folks at Hi-Tech Foams (ph ? 402-470-2346) and they suggested the medium density, single layer of Comforfoam. Comforfoam forms around you and does not bottom out. I highly recommend it for the seat back if you want to be as far back as you can in the RV4. A single layer of one inch medium for the seatback is $26.25. (Just looked at receipt). A simple cover is easy to make.

P.S. ? Van himself is also a tall guy.

Brian Vickers, Bainbridge Island, WA
RV4
 
RV-4 legroom

Hi, I'm 6'2" 192lb, and fit OK in standard RV-4. I have the rudder pedals as far foward as possible, and only use ~1/2" thick exercise mat on the seat back. I fit OK in the back also, but your knees sit up a bit - not sure if I'd like to go for hours like that. Foot wells in the back would be good. Van mentions in my plans/manual relocating the rollbar structure aft to get more front seat room, but doesn't supply drawings for this - yoyo. If you did do this, the front seat would obstruct the rear seat stick, and I think you would have to do away with it. Yes, more room would be great, but it is all a comrpromise!
 
I?m 6? with long legs and my -4 has the seat moved back the 1? and has the rear stick with no problem, The builder is 6?1? and the seat was moved back for him but we have the same inseam so it?s a perfect fit. I have flown my dads standard -4 witch is fine also with the seat back cushion removed, after 12 hours that way I found it very comfortable with no back cushion.

Russ
 
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