Rear Floor

Hi All

Have any of you removed the rear floor from your 4 for more leg room in the rear seat? If so what modifications were necessary?

floor

I have been thinking of installing the rear seat foot wells for my passenger. I have recently been told that the floor itself is a structural member and should not be removed...

I don't know about structural, mine are just lightly pop riveted on. If you do take out that section of the floor however, remember the aileron push tubes are under there and wouldn't work very well with a set of feet pushing against them. I have the foot wells in mine, and at times my wife will come out and sit in the back seat with a book while I endlessly tinker on something. (in other words, they're very comfortable)

Before I started building my -4 I was working on my -8. So I modified the -8 rear seat footwells to fit my -4. Here are some pics. That portion of the plane was already completed per the plans. Hope this help. I personally would not remove the aft floor.

Footwells

Dayton, I would recommend footwells also. It provides something to put your feet against. I am told very comfy.

Footwells, Etc.

A number of 4 owners told me that footwells were mandatory. If not for a GIB, they're great for a quick stowing of a map or whatever while flying. I made them from drawings in the 24 Years of the RVator...

Here's some pics of mine...

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Good question!!

My 4 doesn't have rear floors. I have been concerned and have thought about adding them in; however, it has 400 hours with no sign of a problem. That was the way it was when I bought it. The builder fabricated and install foot ramps that go over the aileron push tubes. I'm curious what Vans take would be.

Better footing...

Tim, if it works, no worries, why add weight? I don't know about you, but the rear floor in my RV4 was underneath the back seat. The floor under the front seat is attached with screws. I removed mine and installed rear passenger footwells exactly like the ones Bill pictured above on either side of my front seat, aft of the spar. I used plans from a 1989 RV8R magazine article from a builder. You have to be careful of the depth as they will interfere with the aileron pushrods. Other than that, they are highly recommended.
An ever cooler (or warmer) mod I saw in a -4 at a fly-in was holes drilled into the front of the footwell with heat ducted through the holes. using 1" scat through the spar extrusion hole where the front stick access travels. Very slick. The HR2 floor is designed with extra room for the rear seat pax's feet.

Smokey
HR2

I've seen a few that have used the RV8 footwells and retrofitted which is what I would like to do. Does anyone have the Vans part numbers for all the pieces so I can order them?