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I am 6'5" and weigh 220. Will I fit (comfortably) in a DA40? Any
other suggested planes for my height?Thanks,
JB
-- James Boyson, December 20, 2009
I looked at the DA40 and the Cessna 172. I am 6' 4" (or a little under). I liked flying the DA40 but there simply isn't enough headroom for anyone over maybe 6' 2".I tried using the Clarity Aloft headset (which goes behind your head, not on top) and looked at the DA40 XLS model, which has the "bubble" canopy to supposedly add headroom. At most, it adds 1/2". I still did not fit.
In the Cessna 172, headroom is no problem, and that is the aircraft I purchased.
Todd
-- Todd Ramming, December 21, 2009
It's seated height that counts. Anyone should sit in any plane to check the fit. Generalizations just create more useless myths about airplanes. The tallest DA 40 owner I have met is 6'6. And the shortest head banger was under 6. Another limitation is the distance from seat back to knee on some guys.Personally, I would just as soon drive an SUV as a skyhawk. So to each his own.
-- Eric Warren, December 22, 2009
I was also very interested in the DA40. I am 6'4" 220 lbs. It is impossible for me to get my legs under the panel. This is also true for the DA 20 and the twinstar. A diamond rep did not believe me so we tried all the current models at Sun n Fun in April. Now they believe me. These planes were not built for tall people. A little more rudder travel and they could have reckedc up some additional sales. I would rather burn 9 gals then 13, but at least I fit in my 182.
-- Fred Rohlfing, December 27, 2009
I'm 6'6, 280LBs and I did my primary training in two DA40-180 planes, both with round gauges and GNS530/430 combo. These were fine. Legroom was no problem. Headroom was OK with bulky headset.In the DA-40 with G1000, the seat was an inch higher, the panel an inch lower and an inch further forward. I *could* fly it, but sight picture was off, head was tilted and smashed, knees hurt, and overall just not good.
I started a thread at http://community.livejournal.com/aviation/388722.html about tall pilots.
C152 is comfy, but it's basically a 1-seater. C172 is roomy. PA34 is roomy, but a little nose heavy. Be prepared to kiss the yoke if you're flaring slow. Remos G3 - LSA, cavernous inside. Bonanaza supposedly has knee clearance issues for us tall guys.
-- Josh Davis, March 21, 2010
Josh,I may be mistaken, but I believe you can remove/replace padding from the newer planes to lower the seat height.
One of my constant curiosities is why there seems to be so little money spent on seat comfort by owners. We all seem to accept thousands of dollars to clean up and customize a home purchase, but are determined to suffer with cheap seats in a plane that costs just as much.
-- Eric Warren, March 21, 2010