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RV4 Rudder pedal station.

Capt

Well Known Member
Quick question guys. Im about to take ownership of a 4. I’m 183cm and 100 kg ( 6ft 220 lbs) Can the rudder pedals be moved Fwd at all as in modified?
Thanks.
 
No. They stop just short of the firewall as designed. Best way is to move the lower hinge point on the seatback. I do this for extra room with a chute.
 
Okay thanks, I thought as much. Might have to shift the roll bar back also or design a new one.
 
Clarify the current pedal position

I'm 6'1" 210 and fit in my RV-4 (I built) just fine. I did make some minor adjustments to the rollbar location during build (maybe and inch of so) , but to do that correctly, the angled fuselage formers need to be installed differently and modified slightly to retain the function of the rollover bar. Also, the canopy crossbrace limits the AFT movement of the rollbar. Some folks have changed the arrangement of the seatback top angle where it rests on the rollbar to get more room there, but be carefull, as pulling positive G's could break it and the rear stick may be affected as well. The rudder pedals travel just shy of the firewall wells, and allow the brakes to be full forward without hitting. The travel distance is set by the length of the metal links connecting the rudder cables. I have seen some built for a "short pilot" that kept the pedals well aft of what mine are. Also, the rudder stops can come into play it that scenario. All that is correctable by making new cable-pedal links. Every -4 is different, so take a look at the pedal set-up in the one your looking at.
 
6’4” and I fit (200lbs)

I did replace the metal tab someone mentioned with tabs of maximum length, and use a thin seat pads and fit without major modifications. But, I do have a friend who built his to fit, and I cannot physically sit in his because he has a seat platform and lower instrument panel.
 
On both RV4’s that I’ve owned, I moved the roll bar and seatback aft 2.75”. The required some restructuring of the roll bar support structure on the canopy rail and sidewall bulkheads. The hinge on the bottom of the seatback was only moved aft 1.75”. This gave the seat a little more tilt, which was comfortable for me. I’m 6’1”, 200 lbs - long in the torso. If I would have gone more than 2.75” it would have required cutting/rewelding the roll bar because of fuselage taper. It turned out to be very comfortable.
 
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