Replacement seat upholstery.
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Replacement seat upholstery.
Do any readers have recent experience replacing the seat upholstery with new fabric? Did you use a CASA approved manufacturer, an automotive service or DIY? If automotive or DIY, did the supplier provide a flame resistance certificate or did you get the material tested?
All help appreciated.
All help appreciated.
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I went CASA-certified, with AAA:
Aircraft Interiors & Trimming | AAA Trimming | Upholstery Experts Gold Coast
I think it was something like $5000 for two front seats, rear bench seat, wall panels, and armrests. No idea whether that's a good price or not, but it was cheaper than having it done by Airtex and shipped over.
Aircraft Interiors & Trimming | AAA Trimming | Upholstery Experts Gold Coast
I think it was something like $5000 for two front seats, rear bench seat, wall panels, and armrests. No idea whether that's a good price or not, but it was cheaper than having it done by Airtex and shipped over.
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Thanks for the quick replies. I gone to Grant at Tylden, he has CASA approval. He can’t do them for a few weeks but there is no hurry. Once the front is done, I will move on to the back seats.
thunderbird five, you knew my name but where from?
thunderbird five, you knew my name but where from?
Use marine-grade vinyl and carpet, which is fire-retardant and good for planes.
If yo have a common plane like a C172 you could probably buy complete seat cover kits over the internet from the USA, which are usually very good an not too expensive.
I'd just remove the seats and take them to an auto trimmer - much less expensive.
If yo have a common plane like a C172 you could probably buy complete seat cover kits over the internet from the USA, which are usually very good an not too expensive.
I'd just remove the seats and take them to an auto trimmer - much less expensive.
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PeterC, you can't legally just head to any old auto trimmer, they need to be CASA approved and use approved fabrics, otherwise you may kiss your insurance good bye if something bad happens. What else did you short-cut on? Do you want to be responsible when the Chinese vinyl you fitted, melts all over the legs of your 5 year old niece when your landing goes pear shaped? Certification and approvals are there for a reason.
You remind me of a guy that I heard about that decided he would install his own avionics / radios in his little Victa and it was all held in with one screw! Maybe it looked ok.... but....
You remind me of a guy that I heard about that decided he would install his own avionics / radios in his little Victa and it was all held in with one screw! Maybe it looked ok.... but....
Hmmmm..... has anyone seen a burned aircraft where the seats survived?
Mr Fuji-san...... you're well known from my position orbiting the earth. Good view up here.
Mr Fuji-san...... you're well known from my position orbiting the earth. Good view up here.
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The Autotrimmer doesn't need to be CASA approved if the owner participates in the production of the parts.
Under CASR 21.303 an owner can manufacture a part to be installed on an aircraft.
The FAA have exactly the same rule wording, there is a good description of working under their system here:
https://www.savvyaviation.com/wp-con...uced-parts.pdf
and the FAA definition of an owner produced part.
http://www.velocolutions.com/FAA-own...tured-part.pdf
Under its rules Manufacture can be as broad as specifying the materials and overseeing the fabrication and covering of the seats/interior. Unfortunately CASA haven't produced the same documentation so their definition of an owner produced part is not certain.
The part still needs to be airworthy and so constructed form material that meets the flammability requirements.
Schedule 8 allows for a pilot to replace seats (provided that no disassembly of primary structure occurs) and repair upholstery.
Under CASR 21.303 an owner can manufacture a part to be installed on an aircraft.
The FAA have exactly the same rule wording, there is a good description of working under their system here:
https://www.savvyaviation.com/wp-con...uced-parts.pdf
and the FAA definition of an owner produced part.
http://www.velocolutions.com/FAA-own...tured-part.pdf
Under its rules Manufacture can be as broad as specifying the materials and overseeing the fabrication and covering of the seats/interior. Unfortunately CASA haven't produced the same documentation so their definition of an owner produced part is not certain.
The part still needs to be airworthy and so constructed form material that meets the flammability requirements.
Schedule 8 allows for a pilot to replace seats (provided that no disassembly of primary structure occurs) and repair upholstery.
Last edited by no_one; 12th Feb 2018 at 05:11. Reason: typo
There are very many cases where aircraft have caught fire and seats have survived, most often because the fire has been put out with a hand held BCF fire extinguisher.
Many/most small aircraft have fuel pressure and oil pressure direct reading gauges - that means that fuel and oil under pressure are in lines across the instrument panel right up to the direct reading gauge.
It is certainly not uncommon for things to chaff behind the instrument panel that is getting far more "electric" these days and I have known of many oil and fuel leaks to have happened in this area. Mostly the hot engine oil on the legs is the result.
Now if I had my 6 year old niece strapped into a seat and a fire started behind the dash, I would hope the worst burns were flash burns to mostly legs while I extinguished the fire with the handheld - not the seat covering material igniting into flame and welding her to the seat!
@StickWithTheTruth
1) I refer to CAR 1988
Schedule 8 maintenance that can be carried out of a B class aircraft by a pilot entitled to do so under sub regulation 42ZC (4)
...
8. Repairs to the upholstery or decorative furnishings of the interior of the cabin or cockpit.
2) The interior update was ten years ago, but my recollection is that aviation vinyl is marine-spec vinyl. There is a wholesaler in Oakleigh that sells it by the metre.
3) I don't have any nieces, only nephews.
3) The only problem with the avionics installation in our much-loved Airtourer is that the GPS data card needs to be updated.
1) I refer to CAR 1988
Schedule 8 maintenance that can be carried out of a B class aircraft by a pilot entitled to do so under sub regulation 42ZC (4)
...
8. Repairs to the upholstery or decorative furnishings of the interior of the cabin or cockpit.
2) The interior update was ten years ago, but my recollection is that aviation vinyl is marine-spec vinyl. There is a wholesaler in Oakleigh that sells it by the metre.
3) I don't have any nieces, only nephews.
3) The only problem with the avionics installation in our much-loved Airtourer is that the GPS data card needs to be updated.
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@StickWithTheTruth
1) I refer to CAR 1988
Schedule 8 maintenance that can be carried out of a B class aircraft by a pilot entitled to do so under sub regulation 42ZC (4)
...
8. Repairs to the upholstery or decorative furnishings of the interior of the cabin or cockpit.
2) The interior update was ten years ago, but my recollection is that aviation vinyl is marine-spec vinyl. There is a wholesaler in Oakleigh that sells it by the metre.
3) I don't have any nieces, only nephews.
3) The only problem with the avionics installation in our much-loved Airtourer is that the GPS data card needs to be updated.
1) I refer to CAR 1988
Schedule 8 maintenance that can be carried out of a B class aircraft by a pilot entitled to do so under sub regulation 42ZC (4)
...
8. Repairs to the upholstery or decorative furnishings of the interior of the cabin or cockpit.
2) The interior update was ten years ago, but my recollection is that aviation vinyl is marine-spec vinyl. There is a wholesaler in Oakleigh that sells it by the metre.
3) I don't have any nieces, only nephews.
3) The only problem with the avionics installation in our much-loved Airtourer is that the GPS data card needs to be updated.
No_one has written that you can do the work yourself, but it still has to be with approved parts.
Tell me what would you do if your seatbelts needed replacing?
PC, Is it ok to install radios yourself in a certified aircraft?
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A thought .. having, in a previous life, been heavily involved in interiors and flammability tests ... consider going well above the minimum standards .. one of the better treatments in years gone by for fabrics (and, very likely, still the case) is PFZ (potassium fluourozirconate). On the ground one, generally, can exit, stage left, and watch the fireworks .. not the case in flight. PFZ transforms the flame properties dramatically.
Some general reading at https://www.fireseat.eng.ed.ac.uk/si...-Guillaume.pdf
Some general reading at https://www.fireseat.eng.ed.ac.uk/si...-Guillaume.pdf
Application of preservative or protective materials, but only if no disassembly of the primary structure or operating system of the aircraft is involved.
This has been interpreted as being able to repaint an aircraft!
This has been interpreted as being able to repaint an aircraft!
To my understanding pilots are limited to signing for maintenance listed in schedule 8, only for work they actually performed.
So that would exclude taking it down to the local motor trimmer.
A few other questions need to be asked when performing schedule 8 maintenance and the answers must be yes.
- Do I have the data?
- Do I have the experience?
- Are the approved parts available?
So that would exclude taking it down to the local motor trimmer.
A few other questions need to be asked when performing schedule 8 maintenance and the answers must be yes.
- Do I have the data?
- Do I have the experience?
- Are the approved parts available?