Rear seats vs. Center seats

[jimmuse]

I have a '75 337G normally-aspirated.

I have the rear seats (currently out of the a/c) and sort of dislike the center seat setup.

I got used to my '67B where seats slid back and forth to allow for more leg room and tilted back a bit for passenger comfort.

So, the question is, can I remove the center seats on the 'G and install the rear seats, leaving a large area between front and back for legs and luggage... or replace the 'G center seat setup with seats from an earlier model ('B or 'C).

I had intended to install the rear door mod (another very nice featue of the '67B), but really feel the need to open up the space between the passengers and crew.... and the door would no longer be necessary.

Any thoughts, experience, caveats?

Thanks,

Jim

[kevin]

Jim,

It will be interesting to see what other folks more knowledgeable than me have to say, but here is my experience:

I wanted the same thing for my '73 P337. Here is what I learned five years ago.

First, even five years ago, designing any seat installation that does not use factory designs and factory parts would be incredibly expensive. The reason is that the FAA is quite sensitive about seat design and seat attachment, it is a big part of safety and crashworthiness. As far as I know, the '73 to '75 airplanes were never fitted with the pre '73 style seats, so you would have to do all the studies that a mfg would have to do today to prove that they are safe in that airplane. My investigation showed that that would be prohibitively expensive - would cost more than the airplane potentially.

So that left me with only one option. The '76 and later airplanes have a back seat that is on rails that are mounted on the sidewall. These rails then allow the back seat to be moved from the "even with the front door" position of your current seat all the way back to the back firewall. And they do recline very nicely.

So from an FAA approval standpoint, the easiest path (and still not easy these days, depending on which FSDO fifedom you live in) would be to obtain one of these seats from a salvage yard, along with the rails used to install it, and field approve the installation in your airplane. The field approval is relatively easy, because you are installing Cessna factory parts in a Cessna factory approved manner. It is entirely a Cessna design, nothing new for the FAA to worry about.

I did this. I found a seat, not horribly expensive at the time, I think $2000, and the labor to do the installation was about $1500 at a $50 shop rate.

BUT. (There always is one.) Over the last five years, I have discovered how incredibly lucky I was to find that seat. Since then, even before I completed the installation, I was offered $5000, then $7000, then $10,000 for the seat. People just could not find them anywhere. So finding a seat today would be a matter of diligence and luck. Heck, watch the NTSB site for wrecks, then follow the salvage...something like that.

I hope someone else has a better answer for you. I would also suggest you check with RT Aerospace at the link listed below. They certainly have the expertise to do what you are talking about. The offer a folding bench seat option for the rear seats in a Skymaster, not sure what year range.

http://www.rtaerospace.com/

Kevin

[jimmuse]

Thanks, Kevin.

Gmas posted a lead to the parts manual. It is all there, but I think you are right... finding one is going to be the real trick.

Did the w&b work out well?

Jim

[kevin]

W&B is excellent, because I can move the rear passengers to the rear. I love the mod.

Kevin

[Peter Axelson]

My wife is 5 ft. 10 inches and did not feel like she had enough leg room sitting in the back seat where she likes to ride with our daughter. The aircraft had the seat that flips up. Is this the reason you took this seat out and added the seats and rails into the rear from a newer 337? I think the seat in front of her was most of the way forward. Are there any other options on a P337 model? Or is the only solution to get a 76 or newer P337. How far do the middle seats move back on a 76 or newer P337 model? I assume you took seats from a non pressurized 76 or newer to put in your 1973?
How does one get the luggage into a 76 or newer P337?
Obviously I have been looking at P337s.
thank you
Peter

[hharney]

All your answers can be answered and you will be able to see these different aircraft live at the SOAPA meeting in KZoo. June 11 come on over and join us. See the info on the home page
http://www.337skymaster.com/2008flyin.htm
You won't believe how much information about Skymasters will be at this meeting. Please come out and join us, round trip tickets on NWA are about $500 per person out of Reno to AZO. You can't drive for that price. Hope to see you there>