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Tall SC pilot

M

michael curtin

Registered User
Vancouver, WA
So our Son would like to start taking flight lesson in a Exp PA-18 I built,he is 22yrs. 200lbs and 6'5" tall,with the seat all the way back (of course)and the seat and back rest cushion removed his knees are still in the panel.
Questions
1. Is it possible or does anyone have any ideas on modifying the seat?
2 Does anyone recall the approximate height of some of the tallest SC pilots you have meet?

Thanks for any suggestions Mike
 
I can't speak for pilot height but I gave a ride to a friend who is 6' 7". He climbed in the back with little trouble.
 
you will need to extend seat BASE/rails back some and add a stop in the back of you new extended rails, you may need to move seat latch asswmbly back some too depending how far you go back(as you cut the existing stop off front of rails on seat top it self when doing this)

then you MUST re rig elevators/stick to move sticks back some to make sure rear stick does not get caught up in seat back.(and NO big pouch of junk on back of pilots seat then too...

the one I am referring to had no rear controls, so you might check before you cut things....
 
I have extended a few seat base rails for some large guys. If you have a standard PA18 seat base, I could extend the rails on one of mine and swap you out. Or I could see if I could get a photo of one I did.
 
Mike,

It kinda of depends on where he is tall. If it is long legs, then it can be more challenging. I have a long torso (I was once a hair away from 6' 4" and have since lost about an inch) so I tend to hit my head on the x-brace, but my legs do OK.

I have seen HUGE guys - tall and "robust" get in and out of cubs. I agree with the flexibility comment!

sj
 
A rather simple solution I've seen is to modify the seat BACK to move it aft on the hinge point (with a folding seat back). That gives the long legged types more leg room.

The extended seat rails would be a better choice for several pilots though.

I have a friend who is ~6 foot 8 inches and owns and flys a cub frequently.

As Steve says, though, it's all about torso length vs leg length, and flexibility.

Sometimes being short is not a bad gig.

MTV
 
I know a couple of guys over 6'4" that fit in and fly C150's, Cubs, T-Craft and Citabrias. I agree with the flexibility comment, but also to consider is a couple of things: You will need an instructor, who is, after all, the PIC and needs to be comfy back there... Other thing is that chances are, if your son is going in the business, he will be flying many different types and will need to adapt. A good idea is to spend time on the ground getting in and out and getting comfy. Stretch before going in.
I owned a Canuck, very wide side by side, but the rudder pedals were so close to the seat they gave me cramps. Yet, many of my friends learned in them and they are tall.
Finally, my oldest son is 6'4" and long legged and he fits by adapting.
JD
 
Thanks for all the help and ideas,I'll get started on the seat rails and stick rigging this week. I would say he is the long legged type, it is nice to hear some pilots are just like him and do ok.

Mike
 
Silly idea but since you are EXP maybe you can make the panel smaller so that the bottom lip is higher up like a pa-11, my 6' 5" friend with a 36" inseam, fit in the front of my 11 without alot of whinning, you might be able to scallop the left and right sides just above his knees, might be easier then changing the stick and seating arangement, you SC guy's put to much crap in the panel anyway

Glenn
 
cubdriver2 said:
Silly idea but since you are EXP maybe you can make the panel smaller so that the bottom lip is higher up like a pa-11, my 6' 5" friend with a 36" inseam, fit in the front of my 11 without alot of whinning, you might be able to scallop the left and right sides just above his knees, might be easier then changing the stick and seating arangement, you SC guy's put to much crap in the panel anyway

Glenn
Click to expand...

I did the seat rail mod and bent the rear stick as well on my PA-18, but next rebuild I'm doing what cubdriver2 suggests with a smaller panel and/or scalloped bottom like the cubcrafter's sportcub. It isn't so much the distance from the pedals to the seat being too short as it is being able to get the knees under the panel.
 
Thanks for the photo post,our son has the same problem you had, our panel is about 1" or 1 1/2 " below the panel atachment, At this time changing the panel seems like alot of work, we are looking at the seat/rear stick change.

Mike
 
6'7" and fly a Cub

Contact Northland Aviation Services
their e-mail is northlandaviation@alaska.net
fax (907) 474-0819 or phone (907) 474-0948

I have also found that it depends on the Cub as I have flown a number of Cubs, but some I could not hit brake and rudder at the same time. Was ok on floats or skis.
Good Luck.
 
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