Aircraft Seat Upholstery - For those of you thinking about tackling your upholstery, here's a quick lesson on what worked for me. Let me preface this post by saying that I am not a professional upholsterer or seamstress and this is one of many ways to do it.
I used a quality vinyl such as Naugahyde that is made for aviation use. You can also use leather or fabric. The foam I used is flame retardant memory foam that you can buy from Oregon Aero or Dynamic Systems (Sunmate foam). The last place is much cheaper. A note about using memory foam that I didn't know about, which is if you live in a very cold climate, things are tough until your ass warms up. I used medium density non-memory foam (the pink stuff) as a base. You will also need what is called a vinyl backing canvas. I ordered canvas, some foam and material from Keyston Bros.
Aircraft Seat Upholstery
First you will need to make the base for your seat. There are many ways to do this, but I just cut medium density foam. You can easily do this with an electric carving knife. Mine was really boring, so the ending didn't turn out great.
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Next, you'll need to take the butt foam (the one you'll be sitting on) and cut it to size. Again I used an electric knife to carve. On my prototype I made the mistake of having the front of the seat too close to the front of the seat and when it was all the way back it interfered with the bar, so plan accordingly. For my foam, I wanted a little bump under the knee, so I cut a small wedge and set it in place using upholstery spray adhesive. Then I covered it with a 1/2” piece of foam to even things out. It is also glued with spray adhesive.
Third, take out the foam on the butt and put it on the table and draw the pattern on paper or poster. I used a combination of both. Trace the top, bottom and divide the pages into two parts and trace them. Once you've drawn your pattern and cut it out, you'll need to transfer it to your material. I used masking tape to adhere the pattern to the bottom and then transferred the pattern to the material, but added a 3/4” seam allowance. A 3/4” seam allowance seems to give me the best results if you want a quilt. Quilting is a kind of aesthetic thing where the seams can be seen. I did a little work on these seats.
The next step is to take all the material you cut out and glue it to the 1/2” canvas.
A 1/2” canvas will remove a lot of burrs in the foam from the carving and will also soften the edges nicely. You can use 1/4" but I find that 1/2" gives a smoother look. I usually arrange my cut pieces on the foam to see how they will lay with as little waste as possible, then I put them all together and spray glue. Spray both fabric and foam for good adhesion. Once dry, you can take a razor and cut through the thinner to cut out the pieces. I forgot to mention that I use a stitch tool that you can place on any stitch attachment and mark the pattern. I think they are available at any craft store or even Walmart.
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After the foam pieces are glued to the fabric, I start sewing them. I almost forgot - if you're going to make a pattern like I did (two-tone), you'll need to trim your patterns accordingly. The second part of the pattern you will need to cut is the bottom part to fit the foam. I just cut it in half and added about three inches on one side for the velcro flap.
Then start sewing the two wings (in my case) to the middle of the seat. I use a pencil on the table of my machine to find where the 3/4” seam allowance is. You can also sew your two side halves together. I sewed both of these pieces together to make it look better. Once you've done that, you can sew the side up to the top.
When I sew the side to the top, I start in the middle (seam) and turn. I find it easier to keep things in the center, especially if you have stretchy material.
If you're going to be doing any quilting, you'll need to cut this piece a little longer because the quilting takes up a small piece of material. There are patterns online, but I left about half an inch extra and then cut it off when I sewed the center piece for the wings. There is no reason to lock your quilt because it will lock when you attach the pages to it. A lock stitch is when you return one or two stitches at the beginning and end of sewing to lock the thread.
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Another note is for the top seam. If you plan to sew part of the top, it is best to do this before sewing the sides, as it is less awkward to move around the machine.
Finally, I tried fitting the top and sides to see how it fit, then sewed the bottom of the back. If you're going to attach the velcro, it's best to do it before you start sewing the bottom. I tested it one more time and then put the last piece on.
For vinyl and leather, you will need to use a needle specifically designed for that material. Sewing the leather is a little tricky because it sticks a little. If you look on the web, there are various ways to prevent sticking.
For the split at the bottom, remember to sew the seam at the opening before you sew the bottom on the side.
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I experimented and found it easiest to use a piece of hardboard (1/8”) sandwiched between the cushion and seat back frame. I might go back later and make one out of fiberglass, but I might not have to since it seems to work well.
Total cost for both of my seats was about $500 including foam and material. It took about one day to make the bottom of the seat and the backrest.
Emergency tips ailerons aluminum anor baggage cabin cad checklist control drawing armor electric elevator engine fiberglass factory first flight take off flaps flying fuel fuselage fwf gear glasair glastar induction jig magazine maintenance mods newsletter oškosh ownership poh references safety wheel sport wheel aircraft interior service wheel , it's all in the details. Unfortunately, sometimes these details are overlooked in an effort to be fast. Hasty, unfinished work that neglects details not only looks bad, but can also compromise the durability of the interior.
What it is: French seams, sometimes called "reversed seams," are actually one seam enclosed within another. The two pieces of material are sewn together with the wrong sides facing each other. The result is two parallel rows of stitching, reinforced raw edges underneath and an elegantly detailed finish.
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What to look for: A good French seam will be straight and follow a logical line around the seat. When done correctly, seams should complement the fabric and not draw attention to each other unless used as a design element. There should be no gaps or wrinkles; the fabric should be taut.
The seam on the left side looks dotted and doesn't follow the natural line around the fabric. This will alert you to the error and puckering of the fabric it has created.
What it is: During the cladding process, as the material is pulled from the window, sudden work can create stress or crease lines in the corners around the window.
What to look for: Look at the edges of the window and feel with your hands. If you see or feel ripples, the material has not been applied properly. All edges should be smooth and firm, without wrinkles, gaps or pockets.
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When the material is pulled from the interior through the window opening (above), strain marks may appear. Note the difference between a job done quickly and a job done right (below).
Another example of stains around cabin windows. Note how improperly stretching the fabric can cause these wrinkles (left).
What it is: A pocket in the seat cover is when the seat cover does not fit snugly against the foam underneath. This
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