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Old 30th Jul 2004, 10:14
  #251 (permalink)  
PANews
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Age: 77
Posts: 1,174
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Unfortunately the papers AW gave out on the day were fuzzy and did not even give the new width dimensions.

The cabin of the mock-up was constantly full with people so I never got a real chance at a sit and see. There was plenty of evidence from studying those who were in the cabin though.

Most of my Grand opinions came from comparing Power and Grand photos and line drawings after the event.

As for the others in the pack [135/145/109/900] I have sat in and flown in them all and although the business end of the ECs [first two rows] have more than ample room the third row of these and the rear cabin of the 109 all failed to fit with a helmet on. Fortunately in each of the flights in the back I was without helmet. One flight in EC135 NESV I was able to wear a helmet in comfort in row 2.

I am 6 feet 4 inches so it is perhaps a little unfair on all of them. But that means anyone over 6 feet wearing a helmet would have a similar problem. In the past that was a reasonable height for a policeman.

You can prove as much as you like with numbers. I have stuck myself in the back of each of them and sat in the space available. In the rear of the 109 and 119 I had to sit slightly crooked to fit in bare headed. A helmet was out of the question.

I was rejected from flying in row 3 of another EC135 because the helmet/seat belt and size did not work out. My seat was given up to a 5' 5" pretty young thing!

Going back a generation there are no such problems in an AS355/350!

The 900 has plenty of headroom, its problems lie elsewhere.
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