Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Born to fly
User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

Hi everyone,
If Heidi is a passenger, why doesn't she sit in the back ? Why does the pilot sit in the back where you can't see the controls properly.............. ??????
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

speedy70
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1876
Joined: 28 Aug 2008, 18:01
Location: Devon,UK

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by speedy70 »

It is to do with the centre of gravity of the aircraft and the view is better from the rear seat in a biplane

Cheers Chris

User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

speedy70 wrote:It is to do with the centre of gravity of the aircraft and the view is better from the rear seat in a biplane

Cheers Chris
Thank you Chris,

Sorry, the centre of gravity does not make sense. If you have 2 people then if you are at the front or back makes no difference especially if your weight is the same.....so again, it makes no sense. How are you supposed to see the controls when Heidi is sitting there.

Can you make her sit at the back ?
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

User avatar
DHenriques_
A2A Chief Pilot
Posts: 5711
Joined: 27 Mar 2009, 08:31
Location: East Coast United States

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by DHenriques_ »

Styggron wrote:
speedy70 wrote:It is to do with the centre of gravity of the aircraft and the view is better from the rear seat in a biplane

Cheers Chris
Thank you Chris,

Sorry, the centre of gravity does not make sense. If you have 2 people then if you are at the front or back makes no difference especially if your weight is the same.....so again, it makes no sense. How are you supposed to see the controls when Heidi is sitting there.

Can you make her sit at the back ?
The restriction for solo in the J3 is limited to the back seat due to Cg issues but with a pax you can fly it from either seat. There are exceptions where modifications have been made where the new Cg allows solo from the front seat but usually not in a stock J3.
I preferred to fly both solo and when instructing from the back due to a wider peripheral view through the side windows. In giving rides to heavier people we would sometimes fly from the front seat.

Dudley Henriques

User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

DHenriquesA2A wrote:
Styggron wrote:
speedy70 wrote:It is to do with the centre of gravity of the aircraft and the view is better from the rear seat in a biplane

Cheers Chris
Thank you Chris,

Sorry, the centre of gravity does not make sense. If you have 2 people then if you are at the front or back makes no difference especially if your weight is the same.....so again, it makes no sense. How are you supposed to see the controls when Heidi is sitting there.

Can you make her sit at the back ?
The restriction for solo in the J3 is limited to the back seat due to Cg issues but with a pax you can fly it from either seat. There are exceptions where modifications have been made where the new Cg allows solo from the front seat but usually not in a stock J3.
I preferred to fly both solo and when instructing from the back due to a wider peripheral view through the side windows. In giving rides to heavier people we would sometimes fly from the front seat.

Dudley Henriques
Thanks for that :)
Pilot only back seat yes the CG makes sense but with 2 people as I surmised pilot can sit in the front.
Can you make heidi sit in the back in the A2A model ?
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

User avatar
DHenriques_
A2A Chief Pilot
Posts: 5711
Joined: 27 Mar 2009, 08:31
Location: East Coast United States

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by DHenriques_ »

Styggron wrote:
Thanks for that :)
Pilot only back seat yes the CG makes sense but with 2 people as I surmised pilot can sit in the front.
Can you make heidi sit in the back in the A2A model ?
Not sure as Heidi was not my area of expertise :-) but I don't think so. More leg room in the back for her and I think she likes it back there.
DH

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Oracle427 »

You can't see as well in the front seat in a J-3 as you can in the back anyway. The front seat is lower and you are staring at a face full of panel. It won't help you much when near the ground. Once in the air the view forward is better, yes, but it really doesn't matter all that much and the gauges are of very limited use in a J-3.

The trick is to learn to fly by reference to visual information from the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. It takes practice!
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

Thanks everyone

Can someone that has this plane please let me know if I can put Heidi in the back.

Also if solo the pilot goes in the back and also if with passenger, why was the cub not designed to have the panel in the back rather than the front ?
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Oracle427 »

Everything you need to see, you can see just fine from the rear seat. IRL, a little lean to the left or right lets you see the panel. With TrackIR, you can simulate this just fine. The rest of the time, when flying, you get all the information you need to properly fly the airplane using your Mark I Eyeballs.

If you want to fly front seat, I think you can press the A key to change views... I think.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

User avatar
DHenriques_
A2A Chief Pilot
Posts: 5711
Joined: 27 Mar 2009, 08:31
Location: East Coast United States

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by DHenriques_ »

Styggron wrote:Thanks everyone

Can someone that has this plane please let me know if I can put Heidi in the back.

Also if solo the pilot goes in the back and also if with passenger, why was the cub not designed to have the panel in the back rather than the front ?
Several reasons. First and most obvious reason is that the instrumentation what little there is concerns itself to the engine and simple pitot static instruments. Both require connections. It's MUCH easier in a simple plane like a J3 to have these connections run from a front cockpit mounted panel where proximity between the instrument and the reason for it isn't an issue. Putting a panel between the front and back seat would have space and cg issues as well.
So the combination of putting most of the weight in the front countered by flying the plane solo from the back seat worked out fine for the J3.
Dudley Henriques

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Don't under estimate that space difference between front and back for sure, a pilot sits in the back a passenger squeezes into the front of a standard cub.

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

Thanks again everyone,

Just the last thing, no one has yet told me if Heidi can go in the back and the pilot in the front. :)
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

speedy70
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 1876
Joined: 28 Aug 2008, 18:01
Location: Devon,UK

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by speedy70 »

No she can't.

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Oracle427 »

External visual model issues aside, you can "sit" in the front seat by pressing the "A" key. I believe that is the default key to change views. Alternatively you can right click on the screen and choose the front seat virtual cockpit view.

In other words, you can fly AS Heidi.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

User avatar
Styggron
Master Sergeant
Posts: 1031
Joined: 30 Oct 2015, 14:28

Re: Why doesn't the pilot sit in the front seat ?

Post by Styggron »

Oracle427 wrote:External visual model issues aside, you can "sit" in the front seat by pressing the "A" key. I believe that is the default key to change views. Alternatively you can right click on the screen and choose the front seat virtual cockpit view.

In other words, you can fly AS Heidi.
Hmmmm,
Ok so I can sit in the front seat, Heidi will still be there and react yes ?
Pity I can't get her to sit in the back though. :(
Accufeel V2, C172 , B377+L049+COTS, B17G, Piper Cub,Commanche,Cherrokee,Spitfire,Bonanza, P47,P40,both Mustangs
Aircraft Factory Avro Anson, Albatros DIII,Heinkel He-219, F4U Corsair, P51H Mustang, Avro 504, BF109
Watch my incompetent flying Twitch

new reply

Return to “Piper J-3 Cub”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests