Avid seat options

[larr 0]

I had the tail area fail and need to rebuild that area. As part of the repair, I want to do something about the seats in my Mk1V. Currently it has the supplied fiberglass curved bench seat. I would like to improve on the comfort and are open to all suggestions.

Thanks,

larry

Edited 18 Aug 2012 by larr

[C5Engineer 1170]

I had the tail area fail and need to rebuild that area. As part of the repair, I want to do something about the seats in my Mk1V. Currently it has the supplied fiberglass curved bench seat. I would like to improve on the comfort and are open to all suggestions.

Thanks,

larry

Please elaborate on your tail failure!! As far as seats it's either the fiberglass or the sling seat from the earlier models. I've seen sling guys go to fiberglass and fiberglass guys to go sling.

[dholly 718]

@larr - I can add two comments: I am built rather low to the ground (ie., short legs 30" inseam) and found the sling seat more comfortable than f/g pan seat in my MV-IV. Both tended to catch the back of my thigh. That said, I found the f/g pan seat in my KF3 more comfy than the Avid sling seat, I think it offers a bit more of an upright seating position. The f/g pan seat in my KF4-1200, which for all intent and purpose appears to be -very- close but not exactly the same as the KF3 pan, seems even better to me. Maybe the KF4 foot well space, pedals or pedal location are slightly different, dunno if that factors. Oh, and another thing that likely contributes, I did not use the factory KF upholstery in either of my KF's. I use custom individual seat cushions to build up the seat thickness.

[larr 0]

Some of the tubing in the tail leaf spring support area cracked, broke and forced the tail spring/wheel assembly to the side, where I had no control and went for a ride off the runway. All was well until the airplane went at an angle through a small drainage ditch. That finished off the lower longeron and a angled support tube. I have learned that the crack/ break is not a first, and some have switched to .049 walled tubing in this area.

Since the fabric is coming off for repairs, I am looking for improvements at the same time. The f/g seat has always been uncomfortable to me. Prior, I had considered removing it, and putting in a straight bench seat and use Oregon Aero seat cushions for comfort. Wondering what other have found. My son & I are both around 5'11 and fit should not be a problem. The other thing that I would like to do is to move the rudder pedals aft in order to raise the brake pedal portion to effect the correct brake geometry. Currently, the "shelf" of the firewall prevents adaquate pedal height.

Open to suggestions for improvements....

larry

[EDMO 1078]

Some of the tubing in the tail leaf spring support area cracked, broke and forced the tail spring/wheel assembly to the side, where I had no control and went for a ride off the runway. All was well until the airplane went at an angle through a small drainage ditch. That finished off the lower longeron and a angled support tube. I have learned that the crack/ break is not a first, and some have switched to .049 walled tubing in this area.

Since the fabric is coming off for repairs, I am looking for improvements at the same time. The f/g seat has always been uncomfortable to me. Prior, I had considered removing it, and putting in a straight bench seat and use Oregon Aero seat cushions for comfort. Wondering what other have found. My son & I are both around 5'11 and fit should not be a problem. The other thing that I would like to do is to move the rudder pedals aft in order to raise the brake pedal portion to effect the correct brake geometry. Currently, the "shelf" of the firewall prevents adaquate pedal height.

Open to suggestions for improvements....

larry

I was totally uncomfortable in the KF2 seats - the folding Airdale seats seemed to fit me better - I am (was 5' 8".

Being scratch-built, I raised the cabin roof 6", and mounted a nice 16"wide pair of Cabelas boat seats onto a stainless sheet on top of the front crosstube that normally holds the fiberglas seat - and added a similiar tube same height at the rear, and 4 "seat-rail tubes" for support. These give me a great view over the nose and are very comfortable. I made new brackets to move the pedals closer to fit my short legs.

Not saying you should be this radical - just saying, "explore your options, and make what suits you best". Be thankful that we are experimental and not bound by Cessna or Piper blueprints. Attaching a photo of my seats.

Good re-building,

ED in MO

Edited 21 Aug 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[BryceKat 125]

Larry,

I'm 6'2"+ and 220. I had the original fiberglass seat pan/torture device. With cushioning on the pan, my head was on the skylight, so I removed the cushioning and fabric, which lowered my head but KILLED my backside! Then I got a slingseat, that was some of the best $$$ I spent on my Avid! Comfortable and roomy! Bryce

[SuberAvid 617]

I had the tail area fail and need to rebuild that area. As part of the repair, I want to do something about the seats in my Mk1V. Currently it has the supplied fiberglass curved bench seat. I would like to improve on the comfort and are open to all suggestions.

Thanks,

larry

Larry,

A couple of things you might want to do in your rebuild of your tail. I had almost the same failure you describe in my Avid MK 4. I reinforced the tail area as shown in the before and after pictures.

In my Avid+ I raised the skylight 1" in front and 2.5" in the rear by slicing the butt ribs in half and gluing in a filler piece and fibergalssing over the spliced in part. The skylight sits higher than the top of the wing and makes for very comfortable headroom using the boat seats like Ed shows.

[larr 0]

Randy,

Yours broke just like mine did.

With regards to the raised roof...... did your turle deck fit in ok, or did you have to remake or relocate your fasteners?

Thanks,

larry

[EDMO 1078]

Randy,

Wheh you raised your roof, did you also raise the head-banger tubes? Mine went up about 6 inches, and bowed them another 3 inches up - wish I had bowed them more, and I am only 5-8, but my seats set higher than yours. Thinking of getting those foam pipe-insulation tubes to cover my tubes with, or those pretty colored foam tubes the kids play in the pool with, and cover them with vinyl or fabric and close with velcro -

"Amateur-Building" is so much fun - we can do any foolish thing we can dream up and call it "inventing or engineering"!!!

Gonna make new turtledeck out of flat sheets of colored Lexan and corners of aluminum, all bolted together, or get out the heat gun and start bending plastic.

ED in MO

P.S. The guy who landed my original KF1 in a tree got 165 stitches in his head where he bent and broke the head-banger tubes -

So much for those car-type shoulder belts - I am using the double-shoulder belts now.

Edited 16 Sep 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

My first 3 Avids had the sling seat and this last MK IV has the fiberglass seat. Without extra padding, the fiberglass seat is a killer for the small of my back. I'm not tall, 5'8". I took a small foam pillow that is about 16" wide and 12" high and 3" thick and set it behind me on the seat. That makes it fine. The problem as I see it is this. It's like the seat goes forward just about at your waist level and then goes back again. It puts a bend in my back that's not supposed to be there. The sling seats were okey on my back. I'm thinking about making a foam pillow that will got full width across the back of the seat. Forgot to mention, this Avid has the factory bubbles on the roof for added headroom. I don't need it but toom much room is better than not enough. Take care, Jim Chuk

Edited 8 Nov 2012 by Jim Chuk