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Cabin Dimensions (Width) of SE Aircraft

What the dimensions don’t tell you is the space above your head – before buying the Cirrus, we looked at a TB10 – the problem is that I’m 6 foot 4 inches tall (194cm in new money) and when I had my headset on (Lightspeed Zulu) I could feel myself brushing the surface of the headliner. I flew a couple of circuits but any reasonable thermal activities meant I was banging my head on the roof so width is one thing, but the height above the seat cushion is also relevant..

EDL*, Germany

@WhiskeyPapa
Thanks for that.

@AF
I have a sliding canopy. It certainly makes entry and egress easier. Depending on how the canopy is shaped, it can also provide a sense of roominess in excess of the physical dimensions of the plane.

Tököl LHTL

Indeed, in this case, it seems the Monarchy’s footprint outweighs the Roman Emperor’s who built Split…
A bit of thread drift on my part though, sorry!

Any thoughts on the AA5 family with the sliding canopy?
Does a sliding canopy make the cabin/cockpit ‘feel’ bigger?

Last Edited by AF at 22 Jun 23:11

AF wrote:

I’m in Lower Austria, and sometimes I wonder why the ___ I moved here…

Croatia. It is all about Croatia. Why don’t they have the cutting edge firms? Why can’t I move there and get paid?

I think its something to do with the fate of the Hapsburg Monarchy.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 22 Jun 22:26

Mooney_Driver wrote:

But relief is in sight, summer ends on June 30th here in Switzerland by the current look of things.

That made me crack up pretty good!
I’m in Lower Austria, and sometimes I wonder why the ___ I moved here…

Croatia. It is all about Croatia. Why don’t they have the cutting edge firms? Why can’t I move there and get paid?
The little cherry pocket things (crack coke, basically) the weather, the peops, c’mon!

Somebody start something there, and I’ll gladly play ball!

AF wrote:

Comparing that to a 172, where I feel like I’m in a pickup truck, and could hang my arm on the window opening,

He he, yea in the summer months I do miss the “2CV” Windows of the Cessna. It also was described as the “Opel Manta Feel” And actually right now I do miss my 2CV too despite the fact that my Camry has air condition which is sorely needed. But relief is in sight, summer ends on June 30th here in Switzerland by the current look of things.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

I think with the Mooney it’s really more the seating position than the dimensions that make it feel tight. Actually once you managed to get inside it’s bigger than one would think! The one door doesn’t help though, and it was a good idea that they have two doors in the new models.

I think the dual door cabins give a feeling of added space as well.
When I enter a Mooney, it feels like I"m crawling into a cave.
The panel feels like it is resting on my lap, like breakfast in bed or something…
Once I’m in, I’m not uncomfortable at all, but the initial impression is ‘tight’, as I don’t feel like I could get out very easily. That sure lends an added effect of ‘smallness’ to me.

Comparing that to a 172, where I feel like I’m in a pickup truck, and could hang my arm on the window opening, I feel like I have plenty of space. I even have to reach forward to flip knobs, which makes the Cessna ‘feel’ massive.

But after flying for about 1 hour, I’d take a Mooney 50x over the Cessna… the claustrophobic effect wears off and I feel very snug in a Mooney. All the controls are easily at arms reach, I’m not leaning forward or over at all.

I think the same goes for the PA28. It felt smaller (at first) than the 172, but only because there wasn’t a second door…

It would be interesting to try the new dual-door Mooneys and see if they feel tight too!

DR 401 has a blown bubble canopy, therefore it would give you more space than the old DR400. That is in the upper part of the cabin. Otherwise, the fuselage structure is similar to the old DR400. If you look for something bigger than DR400 you might have a look at DR500 like this one or DR253 like this one
I’m not a big fan of “improvements” incorporated into the DR401 especially the “swift wing”, electrically operated flaps or Diesel engine. Otherwise it’s a sound design. Wooden structure, if keep in proper conditions will last “forever” and fabric shall last at least 30 years.

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