Seat backs and bottoms

[rv8bldr]

Hey folks

A few questions for those of you who have used fabric for the seat bottom and back instead of springs or aluminum:

1. How is it holding up to the stress?
2. What glue did you use? 3
3. Did you treat the fabric with dope or anything, or just shrink it?

I finally got my scratchbuilt fuselage up on it's gear (woo hoo!) and am just using some plywood zip-tied to the seats for now (so I can sit in it and make airplane noises), but I am seriously considering using fabric along with the Stewart Systems fabric cement to put the bottoms and backs on the seats.

Thanks in advance

Mark
#1078

[jaredyates]

I used the polyfiber glue and it is holding up well so far. I didn't fill the weave, but probably would if I were to do it again.

[Battson]

I used a fabric, but not the aircraft skinning kind.


This stuff is designed for use as a seat pan in furniture, and made for a light weight and very comfortable solution. With my seats, I didn't get the ergonomics quite right with my foam and leg angle - so very long flights become uncomfortable - but that's not the fault of the fabric seat pan.

[tailwind]

I used fabric on the seat backs and sprayed it like the outside of the plane then covered with foam and upholstery material. I used plywood on the seat bottoms. I drilled small holes in the plywood as the foam needs to breath then upholstered. Time will tell as to how well it stands up.

[rv8bldr]

Thanks for the answers, guys. I like the fact I got three answers with three different solutions.

I'm thinking I'll probably go the whole fabric route. I'm planning on an O-540 and CS prop as well as fairly complete digital panel, so any weight I can save along the way will help!

[Mark Moyle]

My BH seats are modified Cessna seats. Adjustable fore and aft up and down. Will duplicate the Cessna pattern when I do the re-upholstery. The Pacer seats are just like the example in Eric Newtons builders manual. I will be using canvas to cover the springs, then foam, layer of double sided cloth batten topped with aviation grade leather.
Mark M.
Mark M.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Glenn Patterson]

We used the Stewarts glue with double layers of the heavy fabric on the seat bottom and single on the back. We have no hours on the seats. They seem sturdy when they are done but time will tell
Glenn
BH727

[Zzz]

I considered all the various methods for seat pan and back, including fabric and webbing, and decided to go with aluminum, FWIW.

Another builder friend made the point that for crash safety, in a hard pancake style landing, having the bottom-out compression of the firm memory foam plus a seat bottom that won't blow out (would this happen with fabric? I'm not sure) and cookie-cutter your butt through it like a pasta die, is a good thing.

[Wayne Massey]

and cookie-cutter your butt through it like a pasta die,

Thanks for the visual Z - I'm going to try to get that image out of my mind now and finish my morning coffee 😁

[Glenn Patterson]

ZZZ makes a good point about crash safety with fabric seats. I have an EAA newsletter on one of my old PC's where the EAA advises against using fabric seat bottoms. Fabric seats can result in spine injuries in crashes. I was out numbered when it came to our seats . I think it would be easier & faster to make the aluminum seat pan. Fold it over on three sides in a U with enough leg to bend it to wrap the tube. The short leg be long enough to be able to push down to the seat pan plus make a U strip for the 4th side. Trim pan to fit around seat adjust, corners etc. With the seat face down, push the flange down to the seat pan and clecoe. Flip it over then rivet top and bottom together with ss pop rivets or regular rivets. Personally there are other places to save weight. IMO
Glenn
BH727.

[rv8bldr]

I considered all the various methods for seat pan and back, including fabric and webbing, and decided to go with aluminum, FWIW.

Another builder friend made the point that for crash safety, in a hard pancake style landing, having the bottom-out compression of the firm memory foam plus a seat bottom that won't blow out (would this happen with fabric? I'm not sure) and cookie-cutter your butt through it like a pasta die, is a good thing.

What thickness aluminum did you use, 0.032?

And I agree with Wayne: didn't *really* need the pasta cutter visual.... :-)

[Nev]

I’m getting seats done soon, and probably going to use aluminium sheet for the back and bases. If anyone has photos of how they did this would you mind posting ?

[Aero_tango]

Here we go...
375B2CB3-3612-45D9-AE4B-42F60A9DEEC2.jpeg

AC526C06-BADB-44CC-8EBD-2EE792868E80.jpeg

Mike...

[Nev]

Thanks! Very nice too!
Why did you put a detent in the base rather than a simple flat sheet ?

[Aero_tango]

Thanks! Very nice too!
Why did you put a detent in the base rather than a simple flat sheet ?

That was to gain more headroom, but it turns out that the bottom cushion seat I did has a wood base...so I ended filling that “detent” with a rigid styrofoam sheet...another layer of shock absorbing material.

[svyolo]

That extra rigid foam might be an outstanding idea.