REFLECTOR: Accident report - SQ2000

[Chuck Jensen]

The solution that was put into my plane was seats out of a Corvette.  They are low profile (to enable the low-slung Vette look) and seem to be substantial, yet don't seem to weight much.  Semi-reclining type auto seats may be worth a look.

Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Tom Martino
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 12:37 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: RE: REFLECTOR: Accident report - SQ2000 

This comes at the exact time that I pulled my seats because I decided they are flimsy.  One day while flying in chop ... I felt my self being bounced a couple of times up against the seat back ... and I did not like the feeling.  The seat back seems weak.


I am molding buckets that attach to the floor directly.  The "buckets" will be lined with a system of shock absorbing material (like in a helmet) with memory foam on top.

The bucket is one piece bottom and back, with some flex ... but no "joints".  It will cradle my body somewhat like a clam-shell.  I call it a seat helmet or "pod".

I totally agree with many accident findings that forced landings and rapid descents often turn fatal due to inadequate restraint, shock absorption and seat structure.  I hope to overcome these weaknesses.

Tom Martino  

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Jim Sower
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:10 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Accident report - SQ2000 [heur]

I seem to recall that Paul bought his seats from Velocity - along with 
some other things. I never liked the seat structure but accepted that, 
like spam cans, the seat has little or nothing to do with restraint - 
the harness being bolted to the airframe. I further assumed that the 
seat structure would crush on vertical impact and therefore be of some 
benefit in absorbing energy. I'm skeptical about the plane springing 
backwards as I am about intimations that he was flying out of limits aft CG.

I assumed that the Velocity restraint structure had been tested 
satisfactorily ... Jim S.

Al Gietzen wrote:

> Some of you may have seen this on other venues. This is not happy 
> reading but I post it here because of one factor that relates to our 
> airplanes - the seats.
>
> You can skip the rest of the report, but note that the lack of 
> seatback support is cited as a cause in the pilots death. The seat is 
> essentially the same as the Velocity. From the first time I saw the 
> Velocity seats I was very concerned that is provides very little 
> support against strong forces vertically or from the rear. Once the 
> back support breaks there is no longer a restraint system.
>
> And speaking of restraint system, I also pressed the factory years ago 
> for some test of the 5/16" bolt threaded into ¼" aluminum block as an 
> adequate seat belt attachment; particularly for the inboard side of 
> the front seat.
>
> The analysis of the 4 canardians who examined the wreckage of Paul 
> Conner's aircraft is now available at:
>
> http://www.cozybuilders.org/N2992_Accident_Eval/
>
> Al
>
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