Ever since I saw this item advertised in the local newspaper Sunday edition, I think of it every time I get in the plane. What I think is, "I'm getting old, but not THAT old to where I need that swivel thing". The maker is missing a bet not advertising in the aviation marketplace. I am being sarcastic....but damn if every time I back into my S-7S seat, and do the "tuck your legs up to clear the cockpit airframe and swivel in motion", lifting my right leg to get over the stick (I use the left door for entrance and egress) I think about this. They don't say what it weighs, or if it is made off FAA approved fire rated fabric ( ), but I thought I'd post it for those of you who may find it of either practical use or good for a laugh. Substitute the genaric car in the picture for a genaric airplane. It comes with "memory foam", for what that's worth.

Like the electric chairs I see advertised, praised by seniors who are too infirm to get around otherwise, I WANT ONE, don't NEED ONE, but they just look like fun! Someone buy one, and let the rest of us know how it works out.

You could set it down on a post at the farm and start spinning. Will really make the neighbors scratch their heads.

svanarts wrote:You could set it down on a post at the farm and start spinning. Will really make the neighbors scratch their heads.

Stick your feet out while doing that, and you'd be the neighborhood wind vein.

tom

If you've ever watched closely the amount of stretching and distorting a pair of jeans on a very large butt can inflict on your interior, this device starts to make a lot of sense.

Zane,
I saw a photo of you on here a while back (from the waist up...) in the C170.
Your butt didn't look like it could be that big.... or are you way out of proportion to the top side of your CG?

Zane wrote:If you've ever watched closely the amount of stretching and distorting a pair of jeans on a very large butt can inflict on your interior, this device starts to make a lot of sense.

flightlogic wrote:Zane,
I saw a photo of you on here a while back (from the waist up...) in the C170.
Your butt didn't look like it could be that big.... or are you way out of proportion to the top side of your CG?

I wasn't talking about MY butt! But I guess my butt is big enough to cover the width of a 170 seat, so I qualify as one of the stretcher/distorter/abraders...anyway I thought it was a good idea.

Yeah..... just checkin the sense o' humor meter this afternoon.
Now what is a weather vein anyway?

I've been looking for some upgrades. With the rotisserie seat, and then this fine addition wired to the mags, I'll be the envy of the retirement trailer park.

Speaking of the Clapper: when I started to use my ski ramp this year, I was all caught up in engineering some sort of release that would hold the plane back once I slowly eased down it to the runway proper. A winch was to be used for a controlled descent down the ramp, with me out of the plane running the winch. The idea I had was something that would secure the plane (for sure, as the slope is such that it would be the end of HONEY if it got away from me), a sailplane tow hook release was too expensive, too heavy, and too simple. In the best spirit of re-inventing the wheel, I came up with a 300 watt soldering iron with a blade in place of the regular tip. Extensive testing (done in my heated shop, a major engineering error) showed this would consistantly burn through 1/2" poly rope in 3 minutes, plus or minus 15 seconds. So, once activated, I could count on enough time to get in and ready to go.

The Clapper came to mind, I could turn off the warmed up engine, clap, activate the thermal releaser (I had to think up a name for it), and a few minutes later punch off leaving all the other stuff on the ground. First time I tried it, the prop blast of the idling engine blew the device out of position. Then I weighted it down some more, the prop blast didn't move it but it greatly extended the time needed to burn through the rope, plus now the device was squarely in the way when I blasted back up the ramp. That's how I decided to just punch it from the top of the ramp, after I widened it and installed the Poly Max plastic over the steel, so it'd be slick no matter what. Simple solution now, but the first time headed down it was a rush, but after a couple dozen descents (and the harder to master ascent) this winter it worked great. Next project is to crane it out off my front yard behind an outbuilding for the summer, piece of cake there, I'll post a picture of that. I got 55 hrs of ski flying in this winter so ! guess it worked out!

WHAT!!!