Panther Sport Aircraft Forums

bruceflys wrote:DJ at Cleaveland Tool made a seat for my Panther. Excellent workmanship, fits well, nice looking and comfortable. She will customize for you or use standard dimensions. Importantly, specify if you will use a parachute part-time as I plan to do, i.e. a thicker back cushion so I would not have to shift the seat back when switching. Also I asked for a slit in the bottom cushion for the crotch belt. Cost was $667 all included for faux leather.

Bruce

Interesting, first Panther seats I have seen without the long slot in the bottom front with the two sides going all the way up. Any negatives to building a seat bottom without the big slot?

rh

I'll second what Bruce said. DJ did a great job. I don't know a lot about upholstery but DJ asked the right questions so the seat turned out perfectly.

DJ at Cleaveland Tool made a seat for my Panther. Excellent workmanship, fits well, nice looking and comfortable. She will customize for you or use standard dimensions. Importantly, specify if you will use a parachute part-time as I plan to do, i.e. a thicker back cushion so I would not have to shift the seat back when switching. Also I asked for a slit in the bottom cushion for the crotch belt. Cost was $667 all included for faux leather.

Bruce

I’m dropping mine off tomorrow to be covered. Not sure how this will work out, but a buddy had some remnant memory foam so I used 3M spray adgesive to put it together and used a carving knife to shape it. My parachute acts as the seat back, but since it sits ~3” higher than the seat bottom I’ll need to come up with a spacer to support it.

Given the outrageous prices for pre-made Panther seats, and since no homebuilder with any self respect should have to buy anything pre-made (other than an airplane kit, engine, prop, tires/wheels/brakes/axles, avionics, etc), I will be making my seat. Would anyone mind sharing the dimensions of their seats?

And concerning usage of a parachute, how do you account for that? If you get a sit-on-top-of chute do you need to temporarily remove your seat bottom and ditto the seat back for a backpack type parachute?

Thanks

Rick H

Just picked up my Custom Made seat today. Not installed, but will do that tomorrow.

I purchased my seat from Cleveland aircraft tools. Talk with DJ she has the patterns already made for the Panther.

Fred. Most of the Panther owners around the Green Cove Springs area are having them custom made. Paul Salters made his. Steve Pedano, Buddy Henson (twice) and I had a local car upholster shop do ours. We supplied the foam (memory) and they supplied the fabric. Cushions are fairly straight forward and any good seamstress can do the work.

Bob Woolley

I'm wondering where people are getting their seat cushions. Are you having them custom made, making them yourself, or is there a source?

Thanks,
Fred