Ryan wrote: > I am new to the group and would like feedback.
I just measured N891JF, a very stock KR2. Width at the shoulders (inside longeron to inside longeron) is 33.25". That's what counts, because that's where the circulation is cut off in your arms when another person is in the plane with you! At the panel, it's 35.5" wide between the longerons, but that doesn't matter so much...you knees are much narrower than your shoulders (I'd hope). Width where your butt sits (just above the bottom of the seat, and about three inches forward of the seat back) is about 32". When I built N56ML (KR2S), I measured my wife and myself in a doorway, and we totaled 34", or about 17" each. We are both quite thin, by today's standards, so I widened the plane about 2.5" at the shoulders. One misconception is that the KR2S is wider than the KR2. That's true at the firewall, but the cockpit is exactly the same as the KR2....not wide enough! I suspect this was to keep RR from having to develop an all new turtle deck, but I could be wrong. It was definitely a mistake, IMHO. It was the thing that needed widening most. But it's easily done during construction as are other changes, unlike RV-type aluminum aircraft. For more of this kind of opinion, see http://www.n56ml.com/kopinion.html ... Mark Langford ML at N56ML.com http://www.n56ml.com
