overhead upholstery

[flyguy]

I wonder if many owners find the overhead upholstery to be problem with interfering with headphones bands in such. I have seen photos of some "ultimate functionality" aircraft with no upholstery.

I'm rather long from the waist up and my headphone band keeps bumping into the overhead, but if I were to let out the seat canvas any it would make visibility really crappy. Don't know if that is even an option. My seat cushion in not particularly thick either.

My first 12D didn't have any upholstery and that never bothered me any. Not likely to remove mine as it is rather nice looking, but anyone else noticed this problem and/or care to comment.

Edit: now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if I should just cut the padding off of both sides of my earphones' headband. I'm always wearing a cap and the padding seems to be rather thick and not needed anyway.

DC

[astjp2]

Re: overhead upholstery

I have no headliner....Tim

[Stumpy]

Re: overhead upholstery

No headliner here either...easier to keep an eye on cables, turnbuckles, etc. Also made it quick and easy to mount shoulder harnesses. Clamped my intercom up on the rear carry-through as well, and now the headset cables are behind and out of the way. Not as aesthetically pleasing but definitely more functional, and more pleasant for the occasional taller passenger too.

[Guest]

Re: overhead upholstery

I have headliner and never bumped my head on it until I replaced my worn out seat cushions with new ones.

[FAT KID]

Re: overhead upholstery

Time for a sky light.

[M Towsley]

Re: overhead upholstery

Second that comment, Dave. Same here after Tom Baker made new upholstery for me, lol.

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

Skylight for visibility in a turn and light when flying in the winter. Next to the fabric install silver Reflectix insulation if desired (http://www.reflectixinc.com), and paint to match with http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion-for-plastic/.

Gary

[astjp2]

Re: overhead upholstery

Skylights kinda suck in the desert...unless you want a tan

[Scott]

Re: overhead upholstery

Just working on prefitting my headliner and if yours is anything like mine was, there will be considerable wasted space above the headliner. Three things that cause this:
1. the bows are too short ie they don't lift the fabric up close to the upper fuselage structure
2. the bows have too shallow radii, this reduces your headroom at the sides
3. the pockets into which the bows slide are too large allowing the headliner to hang down from the bows. Perhaps a full inch

Here's some info that might help make the above more clear:

http://c-fclr.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_98.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6I5eraIVKDo/VasZGpPF3_I/AAAAAAAABsU/_96TdeTojJE/s1600/DSCN3459.JPG

You will of course need to ensure adequate clearance for the trim and ailerons cables

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

Skylights kinda suck in the desert...unless you want a tan

Tint them like mine, but yes they can pass some IR.

Gary

[Jim Hartley]

Re: overhead upholstery

Tint them like mine, but yes they can pass some IR.

Gary

I would have a tough time without the sky light, especially in steep turns. Taylorcraft is blind enough. I frequently lift the wings to get the big picture.

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

I would have a tough time without the sky light, especially in steep turns. Taylorcraft is blind enough. I frequently lift the wings to get the big picture.

Yes Jim I agree about the safety picture especially in congested airspace. A skylight and as clear a door(s) as possible. There's always other traffic scooting about but not necessarily in front of the plane...other planes and large waterfowl. It's important to be able to look up as most other higher aircraft either can't or don't look down, especially those on floats which can block the view below. Which is why I like Patroller doors with lower clear inserts or fully clear doors.

Visibility out is important. We lost a flight instructor and student here in Fairbanks due to a mid-air that resulted from a lower aircraft that climbed from a side below into their plane. The climbing plane was flying west into the Sun and the instructor or student didn't see the approaching plane. I sold my first Taylorcraft to that instructor.

The skylight can be a pre-tinted material, or an internal or external tinting layer available at auto body shops can be applied seasonally.

Now I'm going to stretch here but I'm planning on installing small convex mirrors inside the exposed upper rear windshield frame near the trim lever to allow some rearward and up vis though my skylight.

Gary

[Jim Hartley]

Re: overhead upholstery

Now I'm going to stretch here but I'm planning on installing small convex mirrors inside the exposed upper rear windshield frame near the trim lever to allow some rearward and up vis though my skylight.

Gary

Another reference! I like it.

The greatest risk when flying, I believe, is a mid-air collision.

Jim

[astjp2]

Re: overhead upholstery

Another reference! I like it.

The greatest risk when flying, I believe, is a mid-air collision.

Jim

Only near Denali....or Talkeetna

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

Only near Denali....or Talkeetna

Soon it's hunting season in Alaska and elsewhere...mid-August to October. WX starts coming more from the SW with wet air flow from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. With that comes lower clouds and a close temp/dew point spread which means more obscurations to visibility.

Most flying hunters are looking down, not up or sideways. The ground turns from vegetation green to a red/yellow coloration which makes detecting other planes that blend in difficult.

Edit: I meant to mention that some w/o a skylight can't look up if they wanted to.

The time to pay close attention is upon us.

Gary