Quote:
Originally Posted by deadmeat313
I could be wrong here - in which case flame away. 
I thought that a lot of pilots in WWII would only strap themselves across the lap if they were expecting action on the sortie? ie they left the shoulder straps of their harness undone. This was so they could sit forward more easily if they wanted to look out of the plane to the side or rear.
I think Paul Richey described doing that in his book "Fighter Pilot" about his experiences flying Hurricanes in 1940. Some modern photos of WWII birds show the pilot hunched forward in the cockpit. I'll try to find one if anyone thinks its important.
I'm not trying to argue that you should be able to stick you head out of the side window, but that 6DOF is quite reasonable within the cockpit.
S! |
Anyone cab be wrong, me included.
I’m not a WWII pilot, but I always wear shoulder harness during take off, and I tighten them up before any aerobatic manoeuvre (or in turbulence, since the last time I bumped my head in the canopy).
Anyway, my main points are two.
First: 6DOF was asked for many times, with answers varying from a “Perhaps someday” to a polite “No”, because of the extensive modifications needed by many cockpits. I believe it’s time to ask for something useful but not so much labour intensive.
Second: I asked the “four positions head” as an option, not as a default solution for everyone. “Option” is a word that I like very much, as it leaves anyone freedom of choice.