Seat cushion for short people

[Emkay]

Can anyone recommend a well size and square seat cushion for short people? Or where I can get one custom made?

I normally fly a PA28 and being around 5'6 I prefer the extra visibility afforded by a seat cushion.

Where can I get one that fits a plane seat reasonably and which will give me some decent lift?

[john_tullamarine]

Not speaking specifically to your aeroplane .. but, in general, cushions have a caveat in the case of a prang.

The inertial loads transmitted to the body (especially the spine) relate to the stiffness characteristics of the foam assemblies on the seat pan.

On newer, dynamic tested seats, this is the reason they are so uncomfortable after a while in flight (God, but how I hate a long international flight in an economy seat) .. the relatively stiff foam is necessary to achieve an acceptable maximum compression load in the spine during the sled test program. Indeed, for these later seats, one cannot even re-upholster the seat without reference to the crash test requirements without running a very real risk of invalidating the seat certification basis.

Yer pays yer money .. yer takes yer chances.

[mothminor]

Agree with john above about safety in very hard arrivals.


Tempurfoam was developed by nasa to be used in cushions to absorb high/sudden g loads. Now sold under various trade names.
It can be bought in various densities, so you can make up a cushion with a softer layer at the top allowing some give and comfort, with a harder layer below.


Aircraft spruce use to sell a block of it, 3 layers in different colours. I made the seat cushions in my wot from these.


Then just cut the foam to suit and get a local sewing "lady" to cover it.

[FullWings]

You could put energy absorbing foam on top of something solid - that way you’d get comfort AND safety.

Sold at quite a few aviation outlets, here’s one at the BGA shop:

BGA - British Gliding Association - Online Shop - Confor Impact Absorbing Cushions - (Powered by CubeCart) (http://www.bgashop.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=197)

There’s also an interesting article on seat cushions:

Safety Foam - Pilot & Club Info (http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/safety/documents/safetyfoam.pdf)

[DeltaV]

Some years ago I got a dimensionally out-of-spec offcut of Confor direct from TRELLEBORG Advanced Energy Control Materials (http://www.trelleborg.com/en/applied-technologies/products/advanced--energy--control--materials) and after my wife stitched up a cover it has been the best thing I've put under my bum in my aeroplane.

[tmmorris]

The RAF use the Tempur foam (can't remember the trade name) in the a Tutor and it's pretty comfortable once it's moulded itself to your behind.

[rans6andrew]

whatever you end up using, please make absolutely sure that it is secured in place, every time you use it and cannot interfere with any of the control systems. There have been a number of accidents and incidents caused by seat cushions slipping and restricting stick or pedal movements, sometimes from un occupied seats.

[marioair]

After much experimenting I found that a trip to the local mobility shop solved the problem. A wedge shaped cushion for the seat and a lumbar shaped support for the back gave me the perfect position in my pa28.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Not disagreeing with anybody, but mentioning something interesting.

Dr. Tony Segal is a glider pilot and former GP who lives in Uxbridge. When Tony retired as a GP he decided to use his considerable intellect and experience to spend the rest of his life researching the crashworthiness of gliders and light aeroplanes.

I don't think that he flies any more. However, over the last couple of decades he has developed most of the current science of crashworthy little aeroplane cockpits, including developing the science behind conformal foams. He's done it entirely in his own time, with his own or scrounged resources, and because he felt it was a good idea.

Don't fear that this has gone unrecognised - he's become a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, spoken all around the world on his work, and won a handful of assorted awards. But, not enough ordinary pilots know how much we all Tony and his retirement hobby.

G