tandem vs sbs

[awilson]

Can you guys shed some thoughts on the visibility of tanden vs sbs seating? Seems to me that seeing out the opposite door would not be that good. I guess if the door was fully transparent it is better.

[HighWing]

Alan,
I think this is a thought provoking question. In the past, tandem vs. SBS has elicited responses more akin to the advantage of the seat location. Like the stuff you can put on the side by side seat vs. tandem or being able to see the face of your passenger - or not.

I have a video camera mounted to my left lift strut. It is on the left, because that is the logical side to look for the accompanying airplanes or the overall view. I also find that a left traffic pattern is most comfortable and left side-slips as well. My guess is that with tandem seating, either side would be equally comfortable. I had the lower aluminum panel on my first airplane, but the clear Lexan panel on my current one and, maybe it is habit, but it hasn't seemed to make a difference on my preferences.

[Paul Z]

I had the lower aluminum panel on my first airplane, but the clear Lexan panel on my current one and, maybe it is habit, but it hasn't seemed to make a difference on my preferences.
Alan, & Lowell

Lowell, what do you mean, the kick panel, or the lower door panel? I've seen lower kick panels done with Lexan on a different aircraft, a Just Aicraft Highlander Super STOL. I think that would help spotting traffic, especially on the right side of the Aircraft. I've only flown a Cub once, and I was not impressed, mainly because the plane was a beater. As I took off I needed to hold on to the Airspeed gauge because it rattled around an almost fell out. The Flight Instructor / AP that I was riding with had just rebuilt the Cub, and then said it did have some issues. We landed shortly after that and I never flew with him again. The visibility with my Bubble Doors is as good as, if not a lot better than on the Cub. I rest my fore head on the pilots side bubble door, and I can see all the way to the ground.

[HighWing]

Just talking about the lower door panel. I just sat in my airplane and for the type of flying I do, I can't imagine a significant enough benefit to justify what it would take to put Lexan in the kick panel area. Maybe the guys who do a lot of real back country landings would benefit. It would probably look pretty nice, though.

[Paul Z]

Here are a couple of screen shot from a video of the Super STOL, with the Plex kick Panels, and the associated video. I really think this was a great idea to improve visibility, and it would work on a Kitfox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj4s4h8ATuI

[TahoeTim]

kinda related - when i was researching whether or not to build my boot cowl as removable, I came up with an idea just like that where the sides of the boot cowl are removable panels while the top of the boot cowl remains permanently attached to the firewall and windshield. I hadn't thought about making the side panels out of lexan.

maybe for the SS8? :)