correct as-is Furry-Fabric Upholstered Cockpit Seat

[Bob1943]

My F-16 cockpit shows a furry, fabric covered cockpit seat.  Hard to believe they actually upholster the real F-16 seat with this type of fabric.

Is there anyway to get the seat covering to show a leather or vinyl type upholstery in the DCS model?

[Extranajero]

It's a sheepskin cover. I bet they cost the US taxpayer about as much as a whole herd of sheep and the farm they live on as well
There's a green covered set of cushions under it. The covers look to be a Nomex type material, the same stuff they use for flight suits.

I think they stopped using leather for seats in aeroplanes about the same time as they stopped putting ashtrays in cockpits

Edited January 2, 2024 by Extranajero
My keyboard keeps double tapping the ii key

[darkman222]

Get ready for the "correct as is" tag.

My grandfather had that on the seat in his car. Felt awesome to sit on. Especially in winter.

And what's good for grandfather's cars is also good for F16s I guess.

 

Edited January 2, 2024 by darkman222

[Rhinozherous]

14 hours ago, Bob1943 said:

My F-16 cockpit shows a furry, fabric covered cockpit seat.  Hard to believe they actually upholster the real F-16 seat with this type of fabric.

Is there anyway to get the seat covering to show a leather or vinyl type upholstery in the DCS model?

Correct as is. Boeing also puts sheepskin on its cockpit seats. (At least in the past) 

I would always prefer to sit on sheepskin over leather.. . It gets sweaty sometimes in a fighter cockpit. 

[Kang]

I've so far been convinced that the ultra-fluffy seat cover is the main selling point of DCS: F-16C

[Extranajero]

37 minutes ago, Kang said:

I've so far been convinced that the ultra-fluffy seat cover is the main selling point of DCS: F-16C

That's what sold me on it, although leopard print would be even better

[Bob1943]

Thanks for the replies.  Would have never guessed that they were actually using that kind of material.

As far as I can remember (been over 50 years), all the USAF planes that I flew (T-37, T-38, F-111, F-100, F-4, A-37) had some type of synthetic, dense canvas type material on the seats.

[DrumminJ219]

The Viper seat is actually one of the most comfortable seats out there. I think the recline actually helps alot with that. Typically don't even complain about it until I hit hour 8+ in the seat, but by then I'd complain about anything I was stuck to for that long. And yes, it's covered in that "fluffy" covering. 

[AndyJWest]

I assume the reason they don't have fluffy dice to go with the seat is because there's nothing to hang them from?

[norman99]

16 hours ago, Rhinozherous said:

Correct as is. Boeing also puts sheepskin on its cockpit seats. (At least in the past) 

Honestly, the sheepskin compresses and flattens rather quickly, years on, there's not much difference to a cotton/synthetic cover, except it catches and hides more crumbs/filth.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

11 hours ago, Bob1943 said:

Would have never guessed that they were actually using that kind of material.

I think it's fair to say that if it wasn't realistic, it wouldn't be there.
I've sat in a Lynx cockpit which also had sheepskin seat covers, and it was extremely comfy 

[Keith Briscoe]

Gray sheepskin covers on the front seats of my first car, 1980 Honda Civic - plus real wood gear shift knob!  At 16, it felt like i was flying a Viper.

[Tenkom]

Sheepskin is used because it doesn't compress while still providing comfort. If they used foam or something like that then during an ejection then the seat cover would compress and the subsequent impact of the seat hitting your ass could have adverse affects on your spine.

I heard this explanation from a pilot interview.

[Ala12Rv-Tundra]

5 hours ago, Tenkom said:

Sheepskin is used because it doesn't compress while still providing comfort. If they used foam or something like that then during an ejection then the seat cover would compress and the subsequent impact of the seat hitting your ass could have adverse affects on your spine.

I heard this explanation from a pilot interview.

Plenty of sheepskin at work from A32X and A330, but for the life of me, can´t find the ejection seats

[Q3ark]

Even the old gazelle helicopter used by the British army had sheepskin seat covers. Friend of mine in the air corps “acquired” one when they retired them and uses it when he’s simming 

[edmuss]

I have a sheepskin pad on my chair, warm in the winter and cool in the summer, always comfortable

[darkman222]

Now the next question arises. To all the people with home built sim pits: Who is the 100% F16 nerd with a sheep skin seat?

[Harry.R]

On 1/4/2024 at 11:46 AM, Tenkom said:

Sheepskin is used because it doesn't compress while still providing comfort. If they used foam or something like that then during an ejection then the seat cover would compress and the subsequent impact of the seat hitting your ass could have adverse affects on your spine.

I heard this explanation from a pilot interview.

Depends on which seat and which aircraft, for example one popular seat manufacturer supplies seats with foam or sheepskin depending on the end user requirements. For example, this F-16 seat has foam by the looks of it:

https://martin-baker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US18E-Seat-Data-Sheet-2023-with-QR.pdf

Edited January 5, 2024 by Harry.R

[AndyJWest]

7 hours ago, Harry.R said:

Depends on which seat and which aircraft, for example one popular seat manufacturer supplies seats with foam or sheepskin depending on the end user requirements. For example, this F-16 seat has foam by the looks of it:

https://martin-baker.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/US18E-Seat-Data-Sheet-2023-with-QR.pdf

 

Shouldn't that be 'users end' requirements?

[Dragon1-1]

On 1/3/2024 at 5:40 AM, DrumminJ219 said:

The Viper seat is actually one of the most comfortable seats out there. I think the recline actually helps alot with that. 

Seat itself is fairly comfortable, but the recline is actually a pain in the neck. Quite literally, too, particularly when wearing the JHMCS. 

And yeah, like others had said, that nice and fluffy sheepskin cover is standard on the Viper.  

[silverdevil]

On 1/3/2024 at 6:27 PM, Keith Briscoe said:

1980 Honda Civic

the best! constantly on three wheels.

On 1/4/2024 at 12:33 PM, Ala12Rv-Tundra said:

Plenty of sheepskin at work from A32X and A330, but for the life of me, can´t find the ejection seats

for 277 passengers. ask the captain to eject the ass in seat 33a please

[Harry.R]

On 1/5/2024 at 10:06 PM, AndyJWest said:

Shouldn't that be 'users end' requirements?

Sorry, that was a bit of a bum steer.

 

[ASAP]

The ACES II seat is also in the A-10 which has the same sheep skin seat. When you are sitting in a single seat fighter for 8+ hours during a combat sortie it really starts to matter what you are sitting on. I've also heard one of the reasons is because if they had a big cushy foam pad, the foam would compress during the ejection and you'd effectively be getting hit from below by the seat which could cause injuries. 

[void68]

Am 5.1.2024 um 14:20 schrieb darkman222:

Now the next question arises. To all the people with home built sim pits: Who is the 100% F16 nerd with a sheep skin seat?

Well, no real nerd, but I (loosely) covered my pit's seat with sheep skin. It's great in winter and still soft and not too hot during summer. My butt and my cat love it. Never fly without one!

Just have to force the girlfriend to sew it onto / around the seat sometime...

[Vettecor]

Its good at soaking up the pilot's farts for when the crew chiefs have to safe up the cockpit after a flight.