Pietenpol-List: Seat belts and harnesses, and ignitions
Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:21 am
Original Posted By: "Oscar Zuniga"
My opinion on seat belts and harnesses, based on NX41CC and my roughly 150 lb., 5'-10" frame. After the nose-over incident, I was determined to change the seat belts in the airplane to a race-car type harness. I figured I wouldn't be able to anchor the submarine strap (the one up between your legs) due to the controls being right there below the pilot's crotch, but a 4-point would be fine. So I bought a basic quick-release race car harness from Summitt Racing, one that had a single strap going aft from the shoulder harnesses so I could still use the same anchor point in the aft fuselage, and ditched the submarine strap. I got it all to fit on the old anchor points and slid into the seat for a fit.And I didn't even get the wide, fat straps that are available; I think mine are only 2" wide straps and you can get some honkin' 3" wide ones.I ended up with a big, fat buckle and latch assembly not only in my lap, but pressing the tops of my thighs and restricting the use of my legs. Not only was it not comfortable, it may be a bit dangerous because it severely restricts the motions needed to fly the airplane and to lean out the side to toss a roll of toilet paper (oops... I didn't mean that). Seriously, it will...not...work...in the snug little Piet cockpit. If you want to try it and see, email me privately with your address and I'll send you a brand-new Summit Racing 5-point harness in blue to try for yourself. Really! It's sitting in a box in my hangar for anybody who wants to try it out (then buy it if you want it after trying it). So I've gone back to the olive-drab, military-style seat belt and harness that Corky put in the airplane originally and we're back to comfortable again.I don't like the fact that the shoulder straps on this military rig can be unhooked from the lap belt, but will have to live with that and be aware that it can happen unintentionally. And by the way, there was a discussion a few days ago about stuff on the instrument panel and I already mentioned that good old Charlie ended up with half an ignition key embedded in his forehead when the plane went over on its back. It snapped off in the ignition switch when he hit, and Charlie's face was all bloody from the cut on his forehead from the key. When you install stuff on your panel, check where your head would hit if you were slammed forward before you "get it tune with your inner ignition key"!Another thing I found from this (I'm replacing the ignition wiring with shielded, to cut the radio noise) is that the blow to the ignition switch stripped one of the screws that holds the switch together, and at some point could have led to an open "hot" mag when it was supposed to be grounded, or a dead mag when it was supposed to be driving an A65 toilet-paper slicer in the air. The screws that hold the switch together screw into plastic, and the impact had stripped out one of the two screws. Either way, I use this as an example to carefully examine things after you have an incident of some sort. I now have an identical, brand-new ACS ignition switch.Oscar ZunigaSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net/piets/CorkyP ... __________
My opinion on seat belts and harnesses, based on NX41CC and my roughly 150 lb., 5'-10" frame. After the nose-over incident, I was determined to change the seat belts in the airplane to a race-car type harness. I figured I wouldn't be able to anchor the submarine strap (the one up between your legs) due to the controls being right there below the pilot's crotch, but a 4-point would be fine. So I bought a basic quick-release race car harness from Summitt Racing, one that had a single strap going aft from the shoulder harnesses so I could still use the same anchor point in the aft fuselage, and ditched the submarine strap. I got it all to fit on the old anchor points and slid into the seat for a fit.And I didn't even get the wide, fat straps that are available; I think mine are only 2" wide straps and you can get some honkin' 3" wide ones.I ended up with a big, fat buckle and latch assembly not only in my lap, but pressing the tops of my thighs and restricting the use of my legs. Not only was it not comfortable, it may be a bit dangerous because it severely restricts the motions needed to fly the airplane and to lean out the side to toss a roll of toilet paper (oops... I didn't mean that). Seriously, it will...not...work...in the snug little Piet cockpit. If you want to try it and see, email me privately with your address and I'll send you a brand-new Summit Racing 5-point harness in blue to try for yourself. Really! It's sitting in a box in my hangar for anybody who wants to try it out (then buy it if you want it after trying it). So I've gone back to the olive-drab, military-style seat belt and harness that Corky put in the airplane originally and we're back to comfortable again.I don't like the fact that the shoulder straps on this military rig can be unhooked from the lap belt, but will have to live with that and be aware that it can happen unintentionally. And by the way, there was a discussion a few days ago about stuff on the instrument panel and I already mentioned that good old Charlie ended up with half an ignition key embedded in his forehead when the plane went over on its back. It snapped off in the ignition switch when he hit, and Charlie's face was all bloody from the cut on his forehead from the key. When you install stuff on your panel, check where your head would hit if you were slammed forward before you "get it tune with your inner ignition key"!Another thing I found from this (I'm replacing the ignition wiring with shielded, to cut the radio noise) is that the blow to the ignition switch stripped one of the screws that holds the switch together, and at some point could have led to an open "hot" mag when it was supposed to be grounded, or a dead mag when it was supposed to be driving an A65 toilet-paper slicer in the air. The screws that hold the switch together screw into plastic, and the impact had stripped out one of the two screws. Either way, I use this as an example to carefully examine things after you have an incident of some sort. I now have an identical, brand-new ACS ignition switch.Oscar ZunigaSan Antonio, TXmailto: taildrags(at)hotmail.comwebsite at http://www.flysquirrel.net/piets/CorkyP ... __________