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Thread: Seat installation

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Littleton, CO
    Posts
    29

    Default Seat installation

    I building a Kitfox V and have a couple of questions about the seat installation. In my builders manual it shows using tie-wraps to hold the seat pan in. Somewhere I thought I saw a picture using cable clamps instead, are the newer Kitfox's seats installed differently? Can anyone send pictures and info?

    I also saw that some builders are installing straps to support the seat. Are these available to buy or do builders fabricate these? Are any pictures or info available?

    Thanks for the help in advance!

    TeamKitfox is great, it's really helpful with all sorts of information and I like the support it provides from other builders too.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    St Paul, MN
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    1,833

    Default Re: Seat installation

    Scott,

    There have been a couple oop-oops in kitfoxes where seats have collapsed and the pilot's weight on top of the alieron rod under the seat has prevented movement of the alierons - an ugly situation. There is some indication that these oop-oops may have been related to some extent to the seat not being installed correctly - in any case there is no redundance with the plain seat design.

    Some kitfox builders have fabricated web straps under the seats and over the tubing to act as a redundant support for the seat - pretty simple and frugal on the added weight - I am hoping my buddy from the same 'port I fly out of has some photos of his because he did just that.

    John McBean has some under seat storage bays that work out pretty neat as another solution to redundant seat support. I went this route. Basically the under seat bays work out as an excellent aux storage place for tools etc - and the location helps the CG a bit to get some dense stuff like tools and spark plugs a bit more forward. In this case - a person makes a hinged door to get to them under the seat cushion. These things basically put a substantial block between the seat bottom and the bottom of the aircraft - the seat cannot come down on top of the alieron link.

    I believe the newer SS models have a seat with built in storage bays that are part of the fiberglass work for the seat - these look really nice.

    As far as the nylon zip ties - for me they went the way of the milspec fuel hose - to a safe repository in the basement where they can't hurt anyone.....<grin>....

    An aircraft hardware supply place like Aircraft spruce has some uncushioned aluminum clamps which fit neatly around the tubing and a person can firmly screw the seat to the tubing without taking up so much space that it is hard to fit the seat over the tubing. One of my pals showed me how a person can use a little hockey-stick tape (conveniently sold in white and black version to match the most popular airframe colors of the average kitfox) A single layer of the HS tape provides adequate cushion to separate the tubing from the aluminum clamp without adding any significant thickness to interfere with fit.

    Let us know what you decide - it is interesting to see what each of us does for these unique situations.

    Sincerely,

    Dave S
    K 7 Trigear
    912ULS Warp

  3. #3
    Agfoxflyer's Avatar
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    Jun 2008
    Location
    Woodstock, Georgia
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    159

    Default Re: Seat installation

    I used four hose clamps (the screw type) for each seat pan. Also installed straps from the same type of material of seat belts, but a little thinner. Works well. Takes a few minutes to get the clamps off at annual.
    David E.
    Woodstock, Georgia
    N97DE S5 TD Flying

    N97KE RV-9A Sold
    N96KE RV10 Sold
    Rans S21 Helping Brother Build (Selling)
    Vans RV-14A (On Order)

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Littleton, CO
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    29

    Default Re: Seat installation

    Hey thanks guys, this helps out a lot. I like the idea of under seat storage and using the clamps. I'll follow the placement like the manual states for the clamps and use the underseat storage.

    Thanks again, I appreciate the help.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    TABERG NY
    Posts
    10

    Default Re: Seat installation

    I had one of them oops it was not a good thing just after take off I had the seat pan drop down It was a bad few min B-4 I could get my fox back around and put her down I knew what the prob was as soon as it happened the zip ties had snaped and I had a 200 lb guy with me. We had to hold our body's off the seat to get her down safe. Go with good clamps no zip ties.

    Alan

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    UT
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    35

    Default Re: Seat installation

    I added straps made of webbing similar to seat belt material. I secured it with a tri-clamp. The webbing is about 1" wide and is rated at 3000 lbs. tensile strenth or something crazy like that. I'm sure there are many that will call me crazy, but I have never seen the need for the zip ties or clamps at all on the seat. Mine has a lip on both the top and the bottom that nicely wraps around the tubing and stays in place. Any situation such as turbulence or negative g's, are not an issue because the seat belts are holding me firmly in the seat and thus keeping it down. I have around 60 hours in my Kitfox and don't see the need for the ties. Makes removing and checking the fuel system much faster and easier.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Aug 2020
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    Rathdrum ID
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    41

    Default Re: Seat installation

    I can not picture how the tri-clamp is used to secure the straps.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Feb 2020
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    Steilacoom, WA
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    729

    Default Re: Seat installation

    Super old thread but I had never heard of a tri-clamp before. I don't see how that could be employed here either.
    In regards to straps, one can't overlook how much they stretch. I had to specify some for my day job to restrain a decompression panel and had to account for the stretch, which was about 25% if I recall correctly. Let's just say it was a good thing that the person sitting in front of the panel would be pushed out of the way in the 28 milliseconds for the entire event.
    Kitfox 5 (under construction)
    Commercial SE/ME, CFII

  9. #9
    Senior Member Maverick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Phoenix
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    295

    Default Re: Seat installation

    I put the storage compartments under my seats but I still had an issue of the front lip of the seat pan pulling off, over, and down behind the cross member. I put blocks of wood under the seat pans but that didn't do it since when I am pushing on the brakes the pressure is going back toward my lower back instead of down thus, the blocks helped to keep the pans off of anything underneath but did nothing for the pan going backwards. I made some 1/8" thick X 1" wide hooks out of a sturdy steel. These J-hooks are attached under the seat pan. They wrap around the cross member tubing. They terminate at the vertical wall of the seat pan on the back end. There are two, one on each side, and are attached so that the bolts, with wide area washers, go through the seat pan and the flange of the storage box. I can remove the seat pan in seconds for maintenance and now the seat pan stays put.
    EAA, AOPA
    KF5 (N49FK & N36KJ)
    Phoenix, AZ

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Rathdrum ID
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    41

    Default Re: Seat installation

    Are you saying these J hooks go all the way from the front to the rear of the seat pan?

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