Weird idea

[Willja67 144]

Just had a perhaps brilliant, perhaps stupid certainly off the wall idea as indicated by the thread title. 

Background for those who haven't read what I'm doing . Ive got a kitfox model 1 that I'm converting to a single seat with the pilot sitting in the middle using the original pilot's side left rudder pedal and the original passenger side right pedal. One of the main goals is to save weight.

An idea that ive been kicking around is to cover some of the floor in fabric, only those areas that i don't think I'd ever put my feet. Ive read a few comments about items dropped during flight being lost in the tail cone so the fabric is to block off that possibility. This would be an upgrade for this aircraft as the seat truss was open before. 

While i was thinking about where and how to do that the idea came that maybe i could make a sling seat using the same polyfiber, perhaps the heaviest stuff there is for durability. Since it's only single seat and that'll be 18" wide on the bottom there would be access underneath if necessary. I can't imagine any tasks short of completely stripping the airframe that i couldn't do with the seat installed. Maybe slightly more difficult than with a seat that could be removed without destroying it but still doable. 

I specified polyfiber just because that's what's already on the aircraft. 

Ok shoot the idea full of holes.  The rules for this exercise is that difficulty in making it doesn't matter(for now). What does matter is safety of flight and durability. If properly designed could it do the job? Design considerations are an allowable subject but saying that something is overly difficult therefore stupid idea why waste your time is not allowed. 

I wouldn't expect it to stay perfectly taught but then I'm not sure it would need to. I've only got some limited experience with fabric from my plane would it be durable enough to not rip?

[Turbo 162]

Interesting approach to saving weight, and providing greater legroom.  Wouldn't the seat truss bar and the transverse bar the sling seat attaches to tend to dig into the backs of your knees and shoulder area of your back?  I would also want to validate that this new minimist sling seat can take as many G's as the wing spars.  A failure could have you sitting on the floor, with no forward visibility!  Those fuselage-bottom truss tubes would be subjected to bending loads.  Are they strong enough?

Just some musings...

[Willja67 144]

Interesting approach to saving weight, and providing greater legroom.  Wouldn't the seat truss bar and the transverse bar the sling seat attaches to tend to dig into the backs of your knees and shoulder area of your back?  I would also want to validate that this new minimist sling seat can take as many G's as the wing spars.  A failure could have you sitting on the floor, with no forward visibility!  Those fuselage-bottom truss tubes would be subjected to bending loads.  Are they strong enough?

Just some musings...

As far as comfort I was thinking of using some balsa to create a rounded spot under the knees and behind the shoulders. One of the more comfortable chairs ive sat in had a wood back that was very nicely shaped. So long as the shape is right you don't need soft to be comfortable. Probably need some lumbar support as well

As far as strength is concerned I bet if you follow the overlap guidelines for the wings and maybe use the heavy fabric I bet it's plenty strong at least in tension. My biggest concern would be what would happen once a tear got started. 

I wouldn't worry about sitting on the floor so much as sitting on the elevator push rod. I'm going to be sitting in the middle so if i get dropped on the pushrod 99% chance of a spectacular wreck. 

[Turbo 162]

I too was at one time contemplating a revised seat design, but in the end just decided to use a small pillow for some semblance of lumbar support.  But man the Avid sure is short on legroom, no matter what you do with the seat.  Maybe it is worth a second look, though.  I agree that if the shape is right, you don't need much padding.  Good luck!

[Willja67 144]

 

Was browsing another forum and came across the Legal Eagles seat:  

Also found this video: 

Very intriguing and looks nice and light. Also since I don't have a sewing machine more practical than trying for a fabric seat. And since I plan to do most of my flying in warm weather the ventilation aspect of the seat is very appealing. 

 

[1avidflyer 1983]

Pretty much like a lawn chair except looks like metal straps instead of the nylon strapping was used.  Could probably use the nylon straps in your plane as well.  JImChuk

[Av8r3400 1178]

That looks like the most uncomfortable thing to sit on.

 

[nlappos 413]

He could have made it heavier, but that would take even more work. Cement, maybe.

[Willja67 144]

He could have made it heavier, but that would take even more work. Cement, maybe.

You're kidding right? This is .016 aluminium and according to what I've read (haven't has a chance to weigh one personally) it weighs maybe a pound and a half. It was designed by Leonard Millholland who has certainly proved that he knows what he's doing with the legal eagle,  double eagle, and maybe other  designs I'm not aware of. It's certainly lighter than the fiberglass seat pan for my model 1 would be if you cut it in half. 

[Fly-n-Low 181]

I helped to put a seat in an AgCat once. What a PITA... Anyway, it was like trampoline material. The tubes ran fore and aft for the bottom and vertically for the back. The tubes were spaced out so it was like sitting in a sling of sorts. Very comfortable and cool in the summer heat. They didn't have AC in this one!

[Fly-n-Low 181]

He could have made it heavier, but that would take even more work. Cement, maybe.

LOL!!! You didn't watch the video, did you?

I would rather it saddle on tubes running fore and aft and vertical. I would also rather buck rivets as they are cheaper...

[nlappos 413]

Guys, aluminum weighs 1.81 oz per cubic inch. 1/16" thick aluminum 1" wide therefore weighs about 4 oz per linear yard. Nylon webbing weighs .71 oz per yard, so aluminum weighs 6 times more than nylon.

Tell me again how light it is.

[Willja67 144]

Guys, aluminum weighs 1.81 oz per cubic inch. 1/16" thick aluminum 1" wide therefore weighs about 4 oz per linear yard. Nylon webbing weighs .71 oz per yard, so aluminum weighs 6 times more than nylon.

Tell me again how light it is.

16 thousandths or .016" not 1/16".

[nlappos 413]

Thanks my bad. .016" would be strong enough. Has a working strength of easily 300 lbs per strip, ultimate of maybe 900 lbs, and your butt is resting on several strips at once. My bad.

That seat would weigh perhaps twice what a high strength ripstop nylon would weigh, but its not out of sight.

OK,. I give in!