Vertically-staggered tandem seating?

[AhzeeDahak]

The USAF specification for flight trainer cockpits calls for a 6” stagger, not 1’.

 

[U+fly]

Bocian glider also has higher placed rear seat. I saw this glider in my youth. All people who flew it were full of praise about the view.
View attachment 126140

Few other planes with higher placed rear seat.

 

[Vigilant1]

Comments:
12" displacement is a lot. If the rear seat occupant happens to be shorter, additional seat cushions can make up for some of that (provided we can adjust pedals, etc as well).
- My hunch is that solo flying from the front is more popular than solo flying from the rear.

 

[cluttonfred]

I got into the whole tandem vs side-by-side arrangement, and came to several conclusions about tandem when compared to side-by:

• Tandem with both seats same height has a drag reduction;
• Tandem with rear seat stepped up is about the same drag if the cabins feel roomy and have some elbow room;
• Tandem with rear seat stepped up has a small drag reduction if the canopies and cockpits are "tight";
• CG range that must be handled is significantly larger with tandem than with side-by;
• Baggage volume forward and aft of the cockpit helps a lot with managing CG, as long as you remember to run CG for every loadup;
• CG range can be reduced if you package in 3D - make the front seat pan only as wide as the (seated) hips and thighs of the builder, then put the back seat rudder pedals next to the seat pan. Put in enough space between the back seat and its panel that a variety of comfortable back seat leg positions are actually available. This will usually add some cockpit width in exchange for shrinking the distance between front and rear seat CG.

After seeing how small the drag improvement was for the tandem and knowing that my pilot bride and I like being next to each other, I went side-by.

Your airplane configuration will differ, and so may your conclusions. Do your own analysis.

I suspect most of us must take the Walter Mitty aspects and centerline seating and weigh that against the comradery of side-by-side seating, then make your choices.

Billski

Billski, did horizontally-staggered seating (Tipsy two-seaters, Earthstar Thunder Gull Odyssey, etc.) make it into your analysis and, if so, how did it compare?

 

[cluttonfred]

The USAF specification for flight trainer cockpits calls for a 6” stagger, not 1’.

I just picked 12" out of thin air, clearly other amounts can work, I was going for the most you would likely ever need.

 

[EzyBuildWing]

Mega-FUN in the front seat......!

 

[Bill-Higdon]

Mega-FUN in the front seat......!

Medusa Lives

 

[cluttonfred]

Medusa Lives

Fun, but a pusher is a different kettle of fish because you always (as far I know) solo from the front.

 

[ShindenKai]

I’ll take an Me-163 2 seater..

 

[pylon500]

I've got vertical stagger in my project, but then so did the original.

 

[U+fly]

I've got vertical stagger in my project, but then so did the original.
View attachment 126165

Canard airplane with higher back seat (but for a kid, may be not)
Push a button wing folding airplane, with a slight vertical stagger.

 

[ShindenKai]

Leidos Bronco 2 Light Attack Aircraft

 

[raytol]

I learn't to fly in Blaniks and IS28's and instructed in a Twin Astir. The first Twin Astir had a terrible rear seating arrangement but we all got by.
U vill put upensy vith vatever ve gif yo!
Car designers have done us a terrible disservice by their side-by-side seating. In ye olde days the man would be on the front of the horse and the wife behind with the kids trailing off ( in order of age) to the rump!

 

[Bill-Higdon]

How about Reimar Horten's I.Ae. 34 Clen Antú, sometimes known as the Horten XVa