A happy bunny

[brando]

Greetings from Devon UK

I did a cheeky thing a couple of weeks back :P
A topic on a forum caught my eye, namely the FighterSeat due to go on sale soon. A pre-production shot showed it to have possibilities but , as a one-armed pilot I have no use for separate throttle and stick mounts. The seat itself looked good - and an excellent way past a big problem, namely creating a plinth for a car seat - single-handed :blush:

So I asked if I could just buy the seat. No reply for a fortnight, when a post appeared in my in-box - offering me a demo sample for half-price! After a phone conversation with a very gentlemanly chap called Steve Pettefer, I am expecting the UPS van today or tomorrow. :w00t: I'm also getting all the ironmongery, and a guarantee that it wasn't used at the Sumo wrestlers' flightsim convention! ;)

I still have a gas torch and bending springs from when I bent exhaust systems for my bikes, so I should be able to ease the steering wheel mount down to the lap area, where I always use it.

And then, I managed to discover my password (and my handle :rolleyes: ) to get back in here and post - and then I discovered the wiring diagrams posted by Michael :salute: Now I can use a 'discarded' set of FS innards to give me the basis for a labelled control panel. It won't be authentic - not that I don't really admire most of the work I see - but it will enable me to raise my capabilities enormously.

So, a big thumbs up to the considerate people of this world, without whom the world would be a lot worse off!

I'm so happy! :luv:

Brando

[snomhf]

Can't wait to see some photos of your pit when you're done! Thanks for the inspiration!

[MichaelCHProd]

Cool... post some work in progress shots when you get the time :)

[brando]

Oh-kay!!! :D

Somehow the UPS guy got this up the spiral staircase to our 1st floor apartment and kindly brought it indoors

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS1.jpg

Bearing in mind this is a "demo model", according to the kind gent I mentioned earlier, I wasn't surprised to find several extra layers of transparent packing-tape - no match for my trusty pocket-knife though - and a minute later......

I was confused by the apparent addition of a neatly wrapped entrenching tool.....

..:blink: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS2.jpg

I'd read a review somewhere that warned to expect a boxful of loose polystyrene packing - but, as you can see, there was just a half-acre of well-applied bubble-wrap and brown paper - all doing a fine job of protection......

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS3.jpgWow!! :D

I was immediately impressed by the quality of the steel components. The main square tubing is 30x30mm OD. The wall-thickness is an honest 2mm throughout - and the whole steel structure has been powder-coated to a high standard. I took a few trips to tote the entire packaging down to the recycling bins - and a few more to carry all the components up to my den at the top of the house.

Aka 'The Swamp' , as christened by my MASH 4077th-fan wife :luv:

Recently drained......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS4.jpg

Here I have to apologise! :o

I was impatient to assemble these goodies - and the camera took a definite second place to fast, methodical construction :rolleyes:
It took me 20 minutes from unwrapping the simple Euro-English assembly guide to sitting in the well-built bucket seat :coffee:
As you can see, it needed only the help of a cup of tea, a discarded pair of 'boardie's and a hex wrench - plus a flat metal spanner like you get with flat-packed furniture - also included. I needed Valda's help to position the flat metal sides on the inverted seat while I fiddled the 8mm hex-headed bolts into the threaded holes on the seat frame. Otherwise I flew solo the whole time, and it was nothing that would have fazed a two-hander. :thumbsup:
That reviewer had bitched a bit about the hex heads but they turned into the threads really easy (with a tad of grease from my bike kit) and both the bolts and the hex key are engineering quality. Four stainless-steel dome-nuts hold the cross braces - it's all good stuff.
The equally tough goose-neck section, neatly braced by a tube that also forms a stop to prevent the top bar descending too far, is a good fit; and the big knurled friction bolts are big enough to be effective and not fiddly to use. The fact that they all face out left is just my good luck :)

Fully adjustable....http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS5.jpg

There's enough stickyback Velcro to restrain a small elephant - and plenty of those big black cable ties that you find holding wiring looms to bike frames - and the Pro Pedals adhere rigidly to the perfectly sloped plate.

Cables sorted too...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/PS7.jpg

I did say perfectly - and I think there's enough adjustment for length, height and rake for all but the biggest of us.
The seat is formed on a tubular steel framework with, as claimed, similar materials to a real car seat. The reviewer was critical again - regarding the width of the front crossbar - but the whole plot is totally stable in use, despite how it might look. I have to wiggle a bit to get out, but using the edge of the seat (the leather-look vinyl parts) to lever myself upwards produces no alarming wobbles, or any wobbles at all.

I'm going to leave how I fitted the stick until my next post - but here's a taster of how my office looks now, as I gather myself to go on building!

:flying: ..... :bye:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v458/brando6BL/end.jpg

[MichaelCHProd]

NICE :)

Thanks for taking the time to take pictures and post them, they are greatly appreciated