Redoing front seats

[AndreiC]

Hello all,

during my coming annual I was hoping to get my front seats redone. The covering on them is still fine, and I'd like to keep it (it matches with the rest of the interior), but the foam underneath is compressed; I would also like to get the seating position to be higher by maybe one inch by putting more foam in.

Problem is that I called Oregon Aero, and they quoted me an incredible price, around $2200 per seat just to make cushions for me. (Without any installation or anything, just to have the molded foam cut.) That is way way too expensive for what I want to do. 

My question is what other options do I have? Is there a way to source aviation-approved foam to install in the seats?

The plane is a 1970 M20E. 

Thanks.

[Hank]

Check your local upholstery shops. If nothing else, buy new foam and use the old foam as a template to trace the shape, then cut it out 

[Ragsf15e]

35 minutes ago, AndreiC said:

Hello all,

during my coming annual I was hoping to get my front seats redone. The covering on them is still fine, and I'd like to keep it (it matches with the rest of the interior), but the foam underneath is compressed; I would also like to get the seating position to be higher by maybe one inch by putting more foam in.

Problem is that I called Oregon Aero, and they quoted me an incredible price, around $2200 per seat just to make cushions for me. (Without any installation or anything, just to have the molded foam cut.) That is way way too expensive for what I want to do. 

My question is what other options do I have? Is there a way to source aviation-approved foam to install in the seats?

The plane is a 1970 M20E. 

Thanks.

Im mostly following this as im interested in doing my seats as well.  Here’s some thoughts…

Get a local upholstery shop to do it and ask for burn certs or astm documents.  Should be fine.

Or get the company that people order from scs i think?  They will build up cushions.

[Hank]

Check your local upholstery shops. If nothing else, buy new foam and use the old foam as a template to trace the shape, then cut it out.

P.S.--there are some good upholstery videos on YouTube 

[KSMooniac]

When I re-did my seats a few years ago (with a local upholstery shop) I sourced and ordered 3 densities of confor/memory foam as I felt that was the best available for comfort and crashworthiness.  IIRC it was ~$1500 just for enough foam for 4 seats without any labor cutting and assembling.  Buy the best you can for comfort and safety and cry once.  Enjoy the renewed seats for many more years.

[Fritz1]

Think this is not a one and done, friend of mine had his seats done by well renowned aircraft upholstery shop, claims they are less comfortable now than before, buy the best certified stuff you can, have it cut to match what is in there, listen to what the upholstery shop recommends, try it for a couple of hours, then redo it if you have to, seating position and shore hardness of foam is a very personal thing, my airplane has lumbar supports in the front seats, when I bought the plane they were both broken, after I repaired them I really started to like them, bring them out more and more towards the end of a long flight, you may come up with a fixed lumbar support made from really dense foam material, enjoy the journey, no seat feels as good as the one you have upholstered yourself

[Andy95W]

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/conForFoan.php
 

Different colors are different levels of squishiness for your posterior.  

[MikeOH]

Ok, as I'm thinking about redoing my seats I'm very interested in this topic!  The foam price out of Oregon Aero is INSANE!  Even Spruce seemed pretty brutal at nearly $50 for a small (16" x 18" x 1") piece of polyurethane foam.

Some Google Fu came up with this: https://foamonline.com/product-category/foam/high-density-foam/?srsltid=AfmBOoq_4fImxf8F-pwv6sd49M5iHxJUYYXLBsJ_uc57-msi8pPxYCAq

$6 for the same size sheet!  That seems a bit more rational! To my CB mind, anyway

You'll note there is some reference to some flammability testing standards at the bottom of the page; I have NOT looked into their equivalence/suitablity for aviation requirements.  But I plan to!

[Paul Thomas]

I took mine to a local upholstery shop. I left the foam alone because I had no issue with comfort. $3,000 for all seats in leather with burn certificates; he's used to doing airplane stuff because the local shops send work to him.

[Yetti]

3 hours ago, MikeOH said:

Ok, as I'm thinking about redoing my seats I'm very interested in this topic!  The foam price out of Oregon Aero is INSANE!  Even Spruce seemed pretty brutal at nearly $50 for a small (16" x 18" x 1") piece of polyurethane foam.

Some Google Fu came up with this: https://foamonline.com/product-category/foam/high-density-foam/?srsltid=AfmBOoq_4fImxf8F-pwv6sd49M5iHxJUYYXLBsJ_uc57-msi8pPxYCAq

$6 for the same size sheet!  That seems a bit more rational! To my CB mind, anyway

You'll note there is some reference to some flammability testing standards at the bottom of the page; I have NOT looked into their equivalence/suitablity for aviation requirements.  But I plan to!

The ACS has how to set up a burn box.     I tried the same piece of leather three times and could not make it burn.     If the fire has burned through the leather to get to the foam, and I am still in the plane, There are much bigger things to worry (or not) about. Oh and your Mooney is CAR 3 standards.   The ACS is for the newer standards. 

[MikeOH]

13 minutes ago, Yetti said:

If the fire has burned through the leather to get to the foam, and I am still in the plane, There are much bigger things to worry (or not) about.

That's why I've always thought this whole 'burn cert' thing was beyond silly.  In a large cabin class aircraft (like a commercial airliner) it makes sense, but not for a four seat GA plane!

[Yetti]

6 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

That's why I've always thought this whole 'burn cert' thing was beyond silly.  In a large cabin class aircraft (like a commercial airliner) it makes sense, but not for a four seat GA plane!

Most any of the foam that you buy really does not burn that well.    

[Schllc]

Aerocomfort in San Antonio is the only option I would consider. 
all other routes are risky to me.  Textile skills get rarer everyday.

I took the risk with two people for my Aerostar and both ended poorly.   
when it was time for the Mooney I went and I will never experiment again. I will find a way for aerocomfort to be involved. 
Good value, great people and awesome quality. 

[Schllc]

13 hours ago, Yetti said:

The ACS has how to set up a burn box.     I tried the same piece of leather three times and could not make it burn.     If the fire has burned through the leather to get to the foam, and I am still in the plane, There are much bigger things to worry (or not) about. Oh and your Mooney is CAR 3 standards.   The ACS is for the newer standards. 

I have said the exact same thing.  Yet another reason another set of rules for GA needs to be devised. This kind of idiocy is what is actually killing our genre. 

[GeeBee]

Foam is not just foam. Nor can you build up a seat with one density of foam and have it comfortable. It requires knowledge and skill to layer different densities at the right places. Yes, you can "schlock" foam onto a frame and yes it looks ok, it may even sit ok...for a while. Do a 4 hour flight on a single density foam seat and your aching back will notify you of your mistake. Because of the effort and time required, do it right with the right people and the right materials and your backside will thank you.

[vorlon1]

14 hours ago, MikeOH said:

That's why I've always thought this whole 'burn cert' thing was beyond silly.  In a large cabin class aircraft (like a commercial airliner) it makes sense, but not for a four seat GA plane!

https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=241863&start=24

[rogerl]

https://wingsandwheels.com/confor-foam.html

Use a cheap electric carving knife.  There used to be a online guide somewhere ...

 

Edited 12 hours ago by rogerl

[Pinecone]

I had a local aircraft upholstery shop do my entire interior.  

I have done several 5 hourish flights and a few 7 hour ones.  So the comfort is there.

Maybe not an Aerocomfort or Oregon Aero job, but it works for me.\

FYI, you can't make the seat any thicker/higher than original with the same covers.  That is putting 10 pounds in a 5 pound sack.  But, new foam will have a higher seating position due to less compression.