Position of front seats

[mafli]

Dear All,

a friend of mine fell in love with the DA40. However he is very tall and his knees are stuck with the instrument panel. He cannot get his knees underneath the instrument panel. Thus he would need to have the front seat moved two inches backward.

Does anybody have similar problems or an idea how to solve this (apart from using a butcher's saw)? ;-)

Thank you for your help!

Best

Matthias

[CFIDave]

Sadly there's no way to help someone whose legs won't fit under the instrument panel of the DA40. The seat positions can't be moved fore or aft (and seat recline on newer XLT or NG models won't help with this issue).

Your very tall friend will need a DA62 (or eventually DA50 with the same front cabin) if he wants a Diamond.

[curts63]

What year DA40 did he sit it? I was under the impression that the older, steam gauge models, had a taller panel. If this is true and he sat in the older model, the newer G1000 panel may afford more room? Dave, any input, is this true?

Curt

[CFIDave]

What year DA40 did he sit it? I was under the impression that the older, steam gauge models, had a taller panel. If this is true and he sat in the older model, the newer G1000 panel may afford more room? Dave, any input, is this true?

Curt

Yes, some early steam gauge (2002?) DA40s had even less legroom under the front panel than the later (2004+) G1000 models.

[Rich]

What year DA40 did he sit it? I was under the impression that the older, steam gauge models, had a taller panel. If this is true and he sat in the older model, the newer G1000 panel may afford more room? Dave, any input, is this true?

Curt

Yes, some early steam gauge (2002?) DA40s had even less legroom under the front panel than the later (2004+) G1000 models.

Pre-2002 (serial numbers below 200) have limited legroom. Starting with the 200 series SG models, the lower panel (containing the circuit breakers) is recessed. This does help some, but if you're tall enough, it may not matter.

[astaib]

Mine is the 40.026, I never noticed a limited leg room, but maybe because I’m not tall.
Lol

[Steve]

I'm 6' even, and my 2001 Star has the original configuration of the panel. I'm OK for leg room.

As you can see above, there is not a lot of room, but there is some. I keep the rudder pedals one notch shy of full forward.

My 6' 4" son is at the limit of both leg room and head room. I guess that the issue is that we are all proportioned differently (anthropomorphically speaking), and you really have to fly (or at least sit in) the aircraft to see how it will fit you.

Steve

[Rich]

Here's an '02 panel. Lower edge moved up a bit and, while not obvious, recessed forward below the switches about 40 mm. The panel is wider at the top and not as tall overall. Although I'm merely 5-10", I have always flow with rudder pedals full forward. Pulling back on them even a little bit feels cramped. (I know because I had to do this temporarily when my rudder cables were improperly replaced.) When I was demo'd a DA40, it was an '01 with a panel like Steve's. Panel clearance was OK, but the Diamond pilot did say at the time the panel was under redesign. I do know of one of our number who has one like mine and is considerably larger than I.

Since most DA40's are of the G1000-panel variety, that's likely what the OP is talking about. Vehicles are designed to a certain percentile range of the population, and if you're sufficiently outside that demographic, it ain't for you.

[mafli]

Thank you for the lots of information!

My friend is about 6,5 ft tall. He already tried the old and the G1000 panel. Both without success. (

[Thomas]

here my 2003 panel. I am 6.10, fully comfortable. look at the space btw knees and panel

https://youtu.be/_8PVu0_Hq6I