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RV 9A - Seats, Sitting Position?

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WDD

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Question for the group what is the sitting position for an RV9A?

New pilot, doing some long term planning for getting my own plane in 3 years or so.

Mission will be to take the wife on 2, maybe 3 hour flights from Atlanta to the beach, see the "kids" (they're all over 21), or other places she desires.

Also will fly a bit locally for $200 hamburgers, etc.

RV9A looks to be a great candidate.

Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!
 
The 9 is basically just a 7 with different wings ... for lots of room and a more upright seating position take look at the 14 ... you can build one in 3 years for far less than you'll pay for one right now :eek:
 
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I bought my RV-9A with an "Almost-a-14" mod installed. I don't need that much reclining, but flipping the rear seat hinge down puts me at the same recline as leaving it up without the A-a-14. It sits nice and upright, very comfortable seating position. I found it very comfortable on the 5 hour ferry flight back.

The -9A is a great cross-country airplane. Great performance, very fast, exceptionally economical fuel-wise.
 
Only adjustments are 3 positions of the seat back.. you can move very slightly forward or aft. Mine just stays in the aft. Seats are very comfortable. I got some very high quality memory foam from a place in NC that claims they make cushions for ejection seats in fighters and seats in helicopters and made them myself... you sit low, unlike a Cessna where you sit high. How big are you? Hate to ask but size and weight make a difference in RV.
 
5’11”, 195 lbs. Ive searched “almost a 14” but no results. What area shoul I look in? Thanks
 
WDD said:
Question for the group what is the sitting position for an RV9A?

New pilot, doing some long term planning for getting my own plane in 3 years or so.

Mission will be to take the wife on 2, maybe 3 hour flights from Atlanta to the beach, see the "kids" (they're all over 21), or other places she desires.

Also will fly a bit locally for $200 hamburgers, etc.

RV9A looks to be a great candidate.

Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!
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The seating position is closer to that of a Grumman Tiger rather than C172. Sorry I can't comment on the Mooney.

The seat back in the RV is tilted back a bit, but the main difference in the seating position is that the base of the seat is nearer to the floor, so your knees will be higher than your hips. The cross section of the seating picture on the Vans website shows this.

There is also a technique required to get in/out of the RV, it is like lowering down into a bathtub. Seat cushions can make quite a difference for comfort, but after 2 hours in an RV I am really ready to get out. I'm also 5'11" average build.
 
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PaulvS said:
There is also a technique required to get in/out of the RV, it is like lowering down into a bathtub.
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Anti Spat Aero to the rescue again...the Easy Exit Bar is a life-changer in terms of getting in and out. $89, 10 minute installation.

I agree that the quality of the foam in the seat cushions is a very important factor in comfort.
 

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I’m 5’11 and 230. So far my RV9 has been the most comfy cross country hauler I have flown. I have the almost 14 mod as well and it’s just really comfy seating position for me. Longest day I have had in one was 6 hours total flight time. Longest leg was 3.
 
WDD said:
5’11”, 195 lbs. Ive searched “almost a 14” but no results. What area shoul I look in? Thanks
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You'll fit perfectly in the -9A. I'm 6'2", 200lbs. My father in law was 5'11, 240lbs. We were pretty tight when we flew together in the 9A, but not uncomfortable. There is actually more room in the 9A than my 6A.
 
Just did 50 hours of flying over 2 weeks. Longest leg about 3.5hr which is about the max I like to extend the fuel. 6+ hrs in 1 day were not a problem.

If you sit in 1 don't judge the RV based on 1 plane, they can be setup very different for rudder pedal location to seat position, and seats themself.

I am 6'4" 250lbs and fly regularly with people near my size. Rudder pedals are far forward, almost 14 mod but honestly don't have it reclined all the way.
 
bkilby said:
You'll fit perfectly in the -9A. I'm 6'2", 200lbs. My father in law was 5'11, 240lbs. We were pretty tight when we flew together in the 9A, but not uncomfortable. There is actually more room in the 9A than my 6A.
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My son is 6' 5" and 220...he fits perfectly with the bottom seat custhion all the way back and the almost-a-14 seat back at its max recline.
 
WDD said:
How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney?
Click to expand...
Disclaimer: My only experience with a 9 is sitting the factory plane once.

I found the seating position much closer to a Mooney than a Skylane. That being said, I wouldn't rule any airplane on or off your list until you go ride in it. RV owners love their planes and love to show them off and love to introduce other pilots to the RV community. Shouldn't be hard to find a -7 or -9 owner in your area who would be willing to take you on a flight when the time comes to start seriously looking for a plane.
 
I'm 6'2" and 195 pounds. I have the rudder pedals all the way forward and the seat back set all the way back. You can rest the seat back on the bulkhead, or use the seat back brace to sit more erect. You can adjust the amount of seat padding to give you more height, or less. The rudder pedals can be moved easily, but you will need to fabricate new links for the cables. The seat pan has 3 different locations you can use. Between the two, you can go for long legs to short and accommodate a variety of torsos. For best visibility, you probably don't want to be sitting too low to see over the panel and sides.

I don't feel cramped at all once seated. The hardest part is just getting in and out of the seat! I need to try the anti-splat easy exit bar mod.

The almost-a-14 mod lays back the seat much more. This makes it a bit roomier for guys with a big gut to not be right up against the control stick, and it provides more headroom to the canopy. This will decrease your visibility over the cowling and sides. If you have a slider canopy, the installation is easier than trying to do the mod on a tilt up. In all of the sliders I've flown in, I tend to get hit in the head when opening/closing the slider. This isn't an issue with the tip-up (which is why I built mine that way).
 
Between cushions, hinge position, and recline adjuster there is a large amount of flexibility with seat position.

I thought I was going to install the almost-a-14 mode because I like sitting reclined, but just move the seat back to the most forward hinge. I'm 6-1 230.
 
bkilby said:
You'll fit perfectly in the -9A. I'm 6'2", 200lbs. My father in law was 5'11, 240lbs. We were pretty tight when we flew together in the 9A, but not uncomfortable. There is actually more room in the 9A than my 6A.
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I’m 6’3” 240. Do you see this being an issue flying solo? Or with someone smaller?
 
bruceh said:
I'm 6'2" and 195 pounds. I have the rudder pedals all the way forward and the seat back set all the way back. You can rest the seat back on the bulkhead, or use the seat back brace to sit more erect. You can adjust the amount of seat padding to give you more height, or less. The rudder pedals can be moved easily, but you will need to fabricate new links for the cables. The seat pan has 3 different locations you can use. Between the two, you can go for long legs to short and accommodate a variety of torsos. For best visibility, you probably don't want to be sitting too low to see over the panel and sides.

I don't feel cramped at all once seated. The hardest part is just getting in and out of the seat! I need to try the anti-splat easy exit bar mod.

The almost-a-14 mod lays back the seat much more. This makes it a bit roomier for guys with a big gut to not be right up against the control stick, and it provides more headroom to the canopy. This will decrease your visibility over the cowling and sides. If you have a slider canopy, the installation is easier than trying to do the mod on a tilt up. In all of the sliders I've flown in, I tend to get hit in the head when opening/closing the slider. This isn't an issue with the tip-up (which is why I built mine that way).
Click to expand...

Why or how do you get hit in the head with the slider? Would that issue be resolved if there was an extender installed to get the canopy to slide further back and away from your head?
 
frojp said:
I’m 6’3” 240. Do you see this being an issue flying solo? Or with someone smaller?
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You're at the upper limits IMHO. It will come down to leg length vs torso length. Also, you'll likely find it a bit tight in Wisconsin flying gear. I think you'd better sit in a -7 or -9 before committing.
 
MacCool said:
You're at the upper limits IMHO. It will come down to leg length vs torso length. Also, you'll likely find it a bit tight in Wisconsin flying gear. I think you'd better sit in a -7 or -9 before committing.
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Thank you. Trying to locate some owners in the Wisconsin area to see if I can sit in one and get a feel for it.
 
You can modify the seating quite a bit. I'm training in 172s at the moment. My 7A is far more comfortable albeit the knees are higher. It's a bit more reclined but nothing like a Diamond. That's more like laying in a bathtub.

On RVs you can move the rudder weldments fore/aft. The seats can be customized with various foam and thickness. The seat backs have three positions at the floor and three at the top.
Sweetie and I are short so our 7A is truly ours. Only short people fit!
 
This is such subjective thing I really think you owe it to yourself to sit in one and decide for yourself.

The seats don't have vertical adjustment other than the thickness of the seat cushions.

The lower attach point of the seat back is adjustable fore/aft via 3 different attach points spaced 1" apart. This is ground adjustable only.

The top of the seat back is adjustable for 3 different recline positions, also about 1" spacing. These are adjustable in flight. The almost a 14 mod that people have mentioned is an aftermarket kit that moves the crossbar that the upper seatback rests agains aft for more recline.

My prefers position is to sit with the seatback in the most upright position, because it affords better forward visibility for taxi in my taildragger version. I'm 5'10" with a 32" inseam and that position gives me about 2" of clearance between my headset and the inside of the canopy.

My RV7 is a hassle to get in/out of compared to a Cessna, because you have to step in over the window sill and lower yourself down into it kind of like sitting down in a bath tub. Once you're in it, there's plenty of leg room and it's as wide at the shoulders as a 182.

The best way I can describe its is that if a 182 has a sitting position like a chevy pickup, a RV7 or 9 has a seating position more like a Camaro.
 
wirejock said:
You can modify the seating quite a bit. I'm training in 172s at the moment. My 7A is far more comfortable albeit the knees are higher. It's a bit more reclined but nothing like a Diamond. That's more like laying in a bathtub.

On RVs you can move the rudder weldments fore/aft. The seats can be customized with various foam and thickness. The seat backs have three positions at the floor and three at the top.
Sweetie and I are short so our 7A is truly ours.
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Desert Rat said:
This is such subjective thing I really think you owe it to yourself to sit in one and decide for yourself.

The seats don't have vertical adjustment other than the thickness of the seat cushions.

The lower attach point of the seat back is adjustable fore/aft via 3 different attach points spaced 1" apart. This is ground adjustable only.

The top of the seat back is adjustable for 3 different recline positions, also about 1" spacing. These are adjustable in flight. The almost a 14 mod that people have mentioned is an aftermarket kit that moves the crossbar that the upper seatback rests agains aft for more recline.

My prefers position is to sit with the seatback in the most upright position, because it affords better forward visibility for taxi in my taildragger version. I'm 5'10" with a 32" inseam and that position gives me about 2" of clearance between my headset and the inside of the canopy.

My RV7 is a hassle to get in/out of compared to a Cessna, because you have to step in over the window sill and lower yourself down into it kind of like sitting down in a bath tub. Once you're in it, there's plenty of leg room and it's as wide at the shoulders as a 182.

The best way I can describe its is that if a 182 has a sitting position like a chevy pickup, a RV7 or 9 has a seating position more like a Camaro.
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This is helpful and makes sense.

I watched the video on the 14 mod and looks like it has some benefits that would be fruitful in the tricycle gear. It reclines but creates more space between you and the dash and but also creates 2-3 inches more of head clearance.

Along with adjustment to the rudder pedals and playing around with seat cushions I think I should be able to add a decent about of clearance. But you’re right, will have to sit in one and get an idea.
 
I installed the almost RV-14 seat mod on my RV9A about 6 years ago....really made a difference in leg room...and I prefer a more reclined position coming from Diamond Aircraft....
 
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frojp said:
This is helpful and makes sense.

I watched the video on the 14 mod and looks like it has some benefits that would be fruitful in the tricycle gear. It reclines but creates more space between you and the dash and but also creates 2-3 inches more of head clearance.

Along with adjustment to the rudder pedals and playing around with seat cushions I think I should be able to add a decent about of clearance. But you’re right, will have to sit in one and get an idea.
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Just to clarify about the rudder pedals- They are adjustable, but not in the way that we typically think of when we talk about something like that.

The entire rudder bar assembly bolts into the airplane as a unit, with the pivot blocks at the top and the cable attachments at the bottom. When you build the airplane, the pedal position fore/aft is determined by where you drill the corresponding holes in the fuselage structure to attach the pivot blocks and the tilt of the pedals is determined by how long you make the links that attach the cables.

When you build the fuselage, the build manual allows for the inclusion of extra holes in the structure that it bolts to. Adjustment requires crawling under the panel with a couple of wrenches to remove six AN3 bolts and then relocate the assembly fore/aft to a different hole. There can be 3-4" of adjustment to be had there depending on how many holes the builder included. Any time you change the hole position, it will also change the tilt of the pedals unless you fabricate new cable links as well.

None of this is necessarily a bad thing and there's gobs of leg room available, but when you talk about the rudder adjustment, it's pretty much a situation where you set it for your preferred position and then it stays that way until somebody taller of shorter buys your airplane and decides to devote a couple of hours to changing it to what works for them.
 
Desert Rat said:
Just to clarify about the rudder pedals- They are adjustable, but not in the way that we typically think of when we talk about something like that.

The entire rudder bar assembly bolts into the airplane as a unit, with the pivot blocks at the top and the cable attachments at the bottom. When you build the airplane, the pedal position fore/aft is determined by where you drill the corresponding holes in the fuselage structure to attach the pivot blocks and the tilt of the pedals is determined by how long you make the links that attach the cables.

When you build the fuselage, the build manual allows for the inclusion of extra holes in the structure that it bolts to. Adjustment requires crawling under the panel with a couple of wrenches to remove six AN3 bolts and then relocate the assembly fore/aft to a different hole. There can be 3-4" of adjustment to be had there depending on how many holes the builder included. Any time you change the hole position, it will also change the tilt of the pedals unless you fabricate new cable links as well.

None of this is necessarily a bad thing and there's gobs of leg room available, but when you talk about the rudder adjustment, it's pretty much a situation where you set it for your preferred position and then it stays that way until somebody taller of shorter buys your airplane and decides to devote a couple of hours to changing it to what works for them.
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That makes total sense. So there’s a little effort involved in fitting it for the person who will be flying it, and that’s totally ok.
 
I don't think I saw it mentioned. You sit quite low to the floor. A 172 is like sitting in a chair and RV has your legs out in front of you with little rise in the seat.
All positions are adjustable as mentioned previously. However if you are tall then the adjustments are limited to the rear and lower position.
I am 6'-5" @ 235 #. I built mine with the rudder pedals forward, the bottom of the seat back at the rear most position and the top also all the way back.
3.5 hors is about it for me and the bladder without a fuel stop. Florida to Wisconsin this month.
The wife had recently complained that it wasn't the most comfortable and I had the seat with no booster wedges since I am tall. So for this trip and since my wife is 5'-11" and has extra head room, I ordered the bottom seat wedges for her. Made her much more comfortable. Not an option for me @ my height.
Also be careful if you get to sit in someone else plane, as has been mentioned they are custom built and adjusted. Many use a lower instrument panel by adding one inch to the stock size. I rode in one and could not get my legs under the panel to the pedals.
 
I'm 6"3 and 240lbs. I got to sit in the RV14 at Oshkosh this past week. I was comfortable in the 14 but would not want to go much smaller than the 14.
 
IMG_7684.jpegIMG_7670.jpeg

The next image is the Sling TSI - I like to 'cut out' panel style at the bottom for more knee room.
 

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WDD said:
Question for the group what is the sitting position for an RV9A?

New pilot, doing some long term planning for getting my own plane in 3 years or so.

Mission will be to take the wife on 2, maybe 3 hour flights from Atlanta to the beach, see the "kids" (they're all over 21), or other places she desires.

Also will fly a bit locally for $200 hamburgers, etc.

RV9A looks to be a great candidate.

Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!
Click to expand...
The 9 has several seat positions. Three forward - aft hinge positions at the bottom of the seat back, and three positions at the top of the seat back. I'm 6 foot 2, and I use the most aft seat back top position and the middle seat back bottom position. I also prefer more upright seating
 
WDD said:
Wife (and I as well) needs to be comfortable though. The Skylane, Tiger, and Skyhawk we rent have seating position and enough room to make it enjoyable. To put it another way, I drive an SUV because it has upright seating, vs a sports car that sits more like a go kart. For that reason alone I don't believe we'd entertain getting a Mooney.

How does the RV9A sit? Like a Skylane, Tiger, or Mooney? Seats don't look adjustable up or down/front to back. Do people add seat foam to adjust? Just curious.


Thanks!
Click to expand...
The RV seats are adjustable.
There are three "tilt" positions for the top of the seat back, if built per the plans. You probably could add another to make the seat back more upright.
There are three hinges for the bottom of the seat back. You could add others

What is VERY important regarding comfort is the material used for the seat cushions.

My seat cushions use foam from Oregon Aero. After three hours, I have felt more comfortable with those seats than I have in a Mercedes, a BMW, and a Tesla.

My main suggestion (as others have said) is to go and get a "sit down" in someone's 6, 7, or 9 before you rule it out or plan for any mods. You might be surprised how comfortable ***SOME*** of them may be.
 
I'm 6'2" tall and 200 lbs i have the Lemke Aero seats and Anti Splat Aero Easy out bar which is a game changer. I find the RV9A very comfortable and have done several 2.5 hour trips with no comfort issues. I have the seat backrest in the full aft position and the seat flap dropped.

Hope that helps, the RV9A is a fantastic machine.
 
Im 6 ft and 230 pds. I have lumbar problems in almost everything I sit in except the 9. Taking 2 1/2 hr trips are easy with no more lumbar discomfort. My bladder is now the limiting factor. I had to sell my Cardinal as the seat in there was killer on my back. I miss the room but I don't miss the anemic performance on hot days and high elevation airports
 
On my RV-9A tip up, I'm using the stock seat backs and flightline seats (nice and not overpriced). My panel is oversized downwards by 1" so switches could be added beneath G3Xs. I'm 6'2" with long freaking legs and didn't have much knee clearance. I moved the rudder pedals all the way forward which helped, but still not a ton of clearance.

I don't think the RV-14 mod would work in a tip up without major surgery, so... I added an additional row of seat position piano hinges aft of the stock location to get the seats back further. Then I ditched the flip up piano hinge thing at the top of the seat back (hate that design). Now the seats went way back, but the seat back joggle part rested on the canopy locking tube. I removed the joggle with a cutoff wheel then added a 3" wide reinforced 063 plate/angle. To prevent the seat backs from hitting the locking tube, I ordered a black delrin bar (36"x1"x1/2") from McMasterCarr. Attached it to the front the the horizontal support and added a slight bevel where the seat backs now rest. Plenty of room and not a ton of work... The flip up seat back attach and stock floor attach hinge points still work for people that don't have clearance issues.
 

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6'2" here and 15 stone, I have the Lemke interior with the seat on the rearmost hinge fitting and the flap out the way, it's fine for headroom and a comfortable aircraft even on long trips, if your a big lad and have a large passenger its will be tight, but manageable..

The RV9A is an awesome aircraft and you will love it.

Nige
 
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