Van's Air Force
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High Seat Backs
- Thread starter prkaye
- Start date
N916K
Well Known Member
prkaye said:
The opening between the seat tops and the canopy is similar between the tip up and slider. I have the slider with the tip up canopy, works great for getting things in the back.
I access the baggage area of my plane while on long cross countries, high seat backs would make that very difficult.
vlittle
Well Known Member
Hey Phil, me again.
Normally, when entering or exiting a slider, I sit on the seat back and lower myself down using handles on the roll bar. Having head rests would make this more challenging.
In flight, your head never contacts the headrest. Your passenger may want to have a snooze, however, so maybe one on that side is useful. Headrests in cars are primarily for whiplash prevention in rear-end collisions.
Maybe you can design a removable one for your passenger.
One more caveat. Your MD-RA inspector will need you to demonstrate that you can reach your fire extinguisher in flight with your seatbelt secure. About the only place that the firex can be mounted in an A model is at the top of the right flap pushrod cover in the baggage compartment. Your then reach behind the pax seat in flight to access it. Headrests may complicate this.
Vern Little
Normally, when entering or exiting a slider, I sit on the seat back and lower myself down using handles on the roll bar. Having head rests would make this more challenging.
In flight, your head never contacts the headrest. Your passenger may want to have a snooze, however, so maybe one on that side is useful. Headrests in cars are primarily for whiplash prevention in rear-end collisions.
Maybe you can design a removable one for your passenger.
One more caveat. Your MD-RA inspector will need you to demonstrate that you can reach your fire extinguisher in flight with your seatbelt secure. About the only place that the firex can be mounted in an A model is at the top of the right flap pushrod cover in the baggage compartment. Your then reach behind the pax seat in flight to access it. Headrests may complicate this.
Vern Little
kentb
Well Known Member
I bought the Class Aero seat for my 9A. The head rest is not movable or removeable. I have not tried loading the cargo area yet (still doing my flight testing), but I don't think that there will be any problem loading as the seat will fold forward.
The seats are very nice to set in. The only thing negitive about the seat is that the sholder harness splits right behind the head rest making it hard to keep straight (ready for next flight). I will need to figure something that will hold this in place between flights.
Oh yea the other downside on this seat is the price. My wife said that if I expected her to spend more then 30 miniutes in the plane that I should make sure that we had good seats so our backsides wouldn't give out on us.
Kent
The seats are very nice to set in. The only thing negitive about the seat is that the sholder harness splits right behind the head rest making it hard to keep straight (ready for next flight). I will need to figure something that will hold this in place between flights.
Oh yea the other downside on this seat is the price. My wife said that if I expected her to spend more then 30 miniutes in the plane that I should make sure that we had good seats so our backsides wouldn't give out on us.
Kent
Pilottonny
Well Known Member
Reclining seat for passenger !!
Phil,
That is exactly what my wive requested me to build in, if I want her to fly with me on longer trips, when we flew back from France on our last trip with one of our clubs Spam cans. It would be very relaxing for her to be able to recline the seat (even if it was only just a bit) when she takes a nap on longer trips. I have not ordered the fuselage yet, but I know there is a brace behind the seats that will probably have to stay in, to keep the fuselage together.
Regards,
Phil,
That is exactly what my wive requested me to build in, if I want her to fly with me on longer trips, when we flew back from France on our last trip with one of our clubs Spam cans. It would be very relaxing for her to be able to recline the seat (even if it was only just a bit) when she takes a nap on longer trips. I have not ordered the fuselage yet, but I know there is a brace behind the seats that will probably have to stay in, to keep the fuselage together.
Regards,
mark manda
Well Known Member
I talked to somebody at OSH who actually cut two inches off the seats for easy loading and it doesn't make a bit of noticable difference.
RV9798
Well Known Member
Pilottonny said:
Tonny,
I had the same thought. The brace is structural and you can not just remove it. Maybe when you remove the seatback, you could build her a permanent recliner....but your wife have to slip underneath the brace and may be is not so practical for her.
I too, know people that have shortened their seat backs as Mark stated. The reference to the seat "folding" is the fact the seats are normally hinged at the floor so, depending on upholstery thickness, the top of the seat goes forward and baggage can be loaded through the bulkhead as opposed to over it. The top of the seat rests against the bulkhead inflight.
A couple of folks I know have also moved the flap motor to the side of the fuse for more room.
I think that if you find a way to make a reclining seat it will be quite a project. You might consider how much your "passenger/spouse" actually flies with you. I know a lot of people who built an RV and their "spouse" hardly rides in it. Good luck and keep us advised.
A couple of folks I know have also moved the flap motor to the side of the fuse for more room.
I think that if you find a way to make a reclining seat it will be quite a project. You might consider how much your "passenger/spouse" actually flies with you. I know a lot of people who built an RV and their "spouse" hardly rides in it. Good luck and keep us advised.
kentb
Well Known Member
prkaye said:
Yes it is the "aviator" seat. The design of the floor attach is a little different then Vans to make it easyer to fold forward. Also the seat bottoms are attach with velcro.
I don't think that reclining the passanger past the fuse brace would be a good idea, as in the event of an accident there head would hit the brace. Your best recline position would be to place the seat in its forward most position and not use the top brace, but allow the seat back to lay against the fuse. brace bar.
Kent
I got to thinking about this issue of the Classic Aero seats with the headrests, again. I was initially concerned about access to the baggage area (I am probably going to build a tip-up)... but it sounds like the seats folding forward would make this a non-issue. Does anyone have a photo of these seats in the folded-forward position? Just curious to see how far down they go, and how much clearance would be left for loading baggage.
