Cockpit Design Simplified

By Michael C. Myal, EAA 7978

28763 Cunningham, Warren, Mich.
rpHERE IS an apparent need for a simple solution to
JL the problem of cockpit layout. Other methods are pre-
sented elsewhere which unnecessarily complicate the pro-
cedure. A design technique, pioneered by General Motors
and developed through the SAE (SAE Standard J 826),
is used throughout the automobile industry. It is simple,
realistic, and positive.
Structural design of the aircraft should begin only
when the cockpit area is dimensionally fixed and its com-
fort variables related to the intended purpose of this de-
sign. This simplified cockpit design technique should be an
encouragement to the homebuilt aircraft designer to be-
gin his project with confidence, and will prove to be a
time-saving asset to the manufacturer of aircraft.
THE MAN. Human factors specialists agree that
man's needs be completely analyzed before attempting
the design of any vehicle. These highly skilled people
seek to provide the vehicle operator with degrees of
roominess, comfort, visibility, and safety consistent with
the function of the vehicle or structure. They always
begin with the human and his requirements, capabilities,
or limitations. Our simplified technique follows this prin-
ciple; ample cockpit space is guaranteed.
By employing a scale 2 D MANIKIN of a large size,
as shown in Fig. 1, people of lesser stature will be fully
accommodated. The standard size of this manikin has been
selected with extreme care. He is 90 percentile in all
body segments, which means 90 percent of the American
males are shorter for each body segment. Studies have
conclusively proved man is not perfectly proportioned;
he may have short legs and a long torso or vice versa.
Thus, this manikin actually determines the space require-
ments of better than 95 percent of the American males,
since all of its body segments are at the 90 percentile
level.
The question might now be raised, "Why not use a
95 percentile manikin?" Economics of structure weight
encourage the use of the 90 percentile size; the cockpit
should never be primarily designed for the extremely
large person. Persons over the 95 percentile level will
possibly be sitting in a "jack-knifed" position. The prob-
lem here is no different than that daily faced by that
size of man. Doorways, clothing, even tying a shoelace,
are generally overcomeif not gracefully. For the sake
of improved aircraft PERFORMANCE space must be con-
sidered a premium, not to be lavishly used.
ATTITUDE COMFORT. We agree that the 90 per-
centile manikin will provide adequate space, but the
problem now arises as to man's comfort requirements.
(Continued on next page)
^Ef f ect i ve Head Room
BACK
ANGLE
BAR
BACK
5.0 inches
LOWER LEG
-I-
FOOT
J_ ^ 90 THIGH 90 i
Fig. 1 Scale layout of the SAE 2 D manikin with degree scale orientation
and insert of assembled manikin. The + sign indicates angle increase.
SPORT AVIATION 7
MTT
|Kjr, HEIGHT
14*
Fig. 2 Some seating possibilities of the 2 D manikin.
Space is allotted by controlling human comfort angles.
Very difficult to compare using linear measurements.
COCKPIT DESIGN SIMPLIFIED . . .
(Continued from preceding page)
There are two comfort factors: Attitude comfort is that
PHYSIOLOGICAL reaction of the body to position or pos-
ture, while seat comfort is usually considered as that
degree of support given the seated body. People tend
to recognize the latter and mistakably judge the over-
all comfort of the compartment by the softness of the
seat cushions. Seated attitude is a far more serious as-
pect of comfort, since little can be done to improve it
once the aircraft is built without resorting to costly re-
work.
Let us first consider attitude comfort. The human
anatomy (also the 2 D manikin) can be literally doubled
up into a "squatting" position so that it occupies only 25
inches of horizontal space in the airplane. Although not
at all practical, this comparison brings out several sig-
nificant features of the human anatomy. First, the body
is highly adaptable to many posture attitudes and many
of its segments have considerable freedom of movement.
Second, the body segments are highly sensitive to angu-
lar displacement. We will use these elements to correctly
design our cockpit with the 2 D manikin.
COCKPIT ROOMINESS. The actual size of the cock-
pit area can now be easily defined by the 2 D manikin
and its COMFORT ANGLES. These four angles, the foot,
knee, hip, and the back angle are representative of hu-
man body segment angular ranges as determined by de-
tailed researches of the subject. We can, by manipulat-
ing the angles on the 2 D manikin, individually or in
combination, depict a realistic cockpit configuration for
any type of aircraft which will provide full room and
comfort for over 95 percent of American males, (Fig. 2).
To complete our side view, the height over the occupant's
head is established. Called EFFECTIVE HEADROOM in
the automobile industry, this standard dimension is meas-
ured on a reclining 8 degree line from the "H" POINT,
the hip joint center of the 2 D manikin for conventional
back angles. The 8 degree line has been determined as
being the average position of the head for conventional
seat back angles, which due to postural differences in
people, can vary from approximately 2.0 degrees to
+12.0 degrees. In order to maintain a consistency with
human seated height measurements, this dimension is
measured from the "H" point to the roof or headliner,
and a constant 4.0 inches is added to this figure to com-
pensate for the distance to the bottom of the buttocks.
I J ULY 1963
%
95
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
_2Q ___
10
5
A
38.1
37.6
37.1
36.6
36.3
36.0
35.6
34.3
34.9
34.3
33.8
B
33.2
32.7
32.1
31.7
31.3
31.0
30.7
30.3
29.9
29.3
28.8
c
25.4
24.9
24.4
24.1
23.7
23.4
23.1
22.8
22.4
21.9
21.5
D
24.2
23.9
23.5
23.2
22.9
22.7
22.4
22.2
21.9
21.4
21.1
F
19.1
18.8
18.5
18.2
18.1
17,?
17.7
17.5
17.2
16,9
16.6
PERCENTILE TABLE VERSUS HUMAN DIMENSIONS
Fig. 3 Human comfort variabilities. A quick check of
these variables will determine your percentile size rela-
tive to adult American male statistics and will aid your
evaluation of your prototype.
The width of the cockpit must be considered from
the standpoint of roominess. The prime dimension indi-
cated comfort is SHOULDER ROOM, the distance be-
tween opposing longerons or the trimmed side walls at
the "belt" or lower window opening. This dimension is
closely related to human shoulder width shown in Fig. 3.
A shoulder room dimension of 40 inches is needed to
accommodate two 95 percentile men in the side-by-side
configuration, allowing .8 of an inch for light clothing.
Perhaps only one 90 percentile and one 50 percentile male
will occupy the airplane at a given time, which reduces
the shoulder room requirement to 37.5 inches. The PSY-
CHOLOGICAL factor here will largely establish cockpit
width; presumably, the lesser dimension might be ac-
ceptable to the occupants of a fast, short-range ship
while the dimensions over 40 inches would possibly be
necessary for slower longer-range aircraft. In any case,
the 40 inch dimension (or 20 inches for the single-place
aircraft) should serve as a point of departure, comparing
this figure to existing aircraft cockpit widths to deter-
mine the final dimension of shoulder room.
To define our cockpit roominess, only six facts are
required: the four comfort angles, effective headroom,
and shoulder room. Study of aircraft and automobile di-
mensioning practices, as found in Fig. 4, before attempt-
ing the initial layout will prove beneficial to the de-
signer.
LAYOUT AND PERFORMANCE. We have estab-
lished a guide for determining the proper shoulder room
and have briefly mentioned the psychological aspect of
this dimension. J ust as we balance the aircraft perform-
ance factors of speed, range, and maneuverability to fit
the intended purposes of the airplane, so, also, we must
consider the size and comfort of the passenger compart-
ment in terms of over-all intent of the airplane. It is
economically desirable to provide the pilot and passenger
with the MINIMUM SPACE consistent with the task as-
signed the aircraft.
Aircraft profile drag is a function of frontal area;
less frontal area results in less drag for the same shape
of fuselage. The tandem arrangement which offers mini-
mum frontal area, is not completely successful in this re-
spect because of present engine configurations. Cockpit
frontal area can be said to be the product of the chosen
shoulder room and fuselage depth at the cockpit section.
The aircraft side views in Fig. 2 best describe fuselage
depth. By reducing effective headroom, we immediately
lower the top fuselage line and decrease the frontal area.
We can also reduce the frontal area by raising the heel
of the manikin. These reductions in fuselage depth affect
the comfort of the occupants. To what extent this process
can be carried out should be of prime concern to the de-
signer.
To begin our design, we should first construct the
2 D manikin scaled to the drawing size; Fig. 1 contains
the necessary information for making an accurate card-
board, plywood, or plastic tool. Degree quadrants should
be incorporated for each of the body segments. On a
clean piece of vellum, horizontal and vertical lines are
established. The intersection of the two is used to locate
the "H" point. Next, by drawing an 8 degree line from
this point, just as in a heading in map plotting, the ef-
fective headroom line is established. The average di-
mension of 90 percentile male erect sitting heights (but-
tock to top of head) is 37.6 inches, while the 95 percentile
figure is 38.1 inches from Fig. 3. Normal body posture
will reduce this by approximately 1 inch. Since we should
accommodate 95 percentile of the males, the dimension
we could use is 37.1 inches of effective headroom. How-
ever, intimate contact of head and canopy or head lining
is not acceptable, so we could increase this figure to 37.6
inches. Scaling this dimension onto our layout and mark-
ing off an additional one-half inch for a canopy or head-
lining thickness will establish the top fuselage line and
the necessary headroom.
Next step is to design the attitude comfort of our
aircraft. Refer to Fig. 4. The back angle can normally
vary from 20 degrees to 35 degrees. According to the
N.A.A. rules for 190 cubic inch displacement racing air-
planes, the back angle cannot exceed 20 degrees; we can
assume that stiffer back angles are required in alert situ-
ations. On the other hand, the reclining back angles of
over 45 degrees, which are used on the "Foka" and
"Zefir," Polish sailplanes, indicate a lesser alert require-
ment. It is recommended that a 24 degree back angle be
used whenever possible, which provides an attitude with
relaxed, but firm, support compared to the best of today's
automobiles. Only for crop dusting, racing, or similar
alert situations would lesser angles be necessary. Higher
back angles, over 24 degrees, are advantageous for the
passenger, in that they place more of the torso weight
onto the seat back also increasing the hip area comfort.
The hip angle is the major comfort angle in the pack-
aging of the cockpit. A comfort relationship between the
abdomen and the thighs, the large hip angle generally
provides more comfort. However, an extreme angle over
105 degrees will usually place the body in an awkward
unbalanced position. A hip angle of 95.0 degrees, plus
or minus 2.0 degrees, is recommended as a preliminary
design starting point. In the rear compartment, varying
hip angles ranging as low as 80 degrees can be utilized
to develop occasional seating.
The knee angle has a high latitude of angular move-
ment. Any angle between 80 degrees and 140 degrees can
be considered satisfactory for our design. Angles over
140 degrees should be viewed carefully to insure that
the under thigh tendons at the knee junction are not sub-
jected to excessive seat pressures. The foot angle, which
is measured at the barefoot-lower leg intersection, should
be held at 90 degrees to establish the zero rudder posi-
tion. The ranges of angular movement are 80 degrees to
120 degrees. Rudder pedal travel should be such that
under a full turn condition the manikin foot angle does
not exceed 115 degrees, preferably 110 degrees, when the
heel point position of zero rudder is held.
Assuming that we have chosen 24 degrees, 95 de-
grees, 120 degrees, and 90 degrees for the back, hip, knee,
(Continued on next page)
Piper Colt . . . . . . . . . . . .
Piper Cherokee . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cessna 140 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beech Bonanza
1963 Corvette Fastback
1963 Corvair Monza Coupe
1963 Buick Riviera
1963 Cadillac Sixty Special
Frontal
Area
12.2
13.2
11.5
. 14.2
Fuselage Effective Shoulder
Depth Headroom Room
44.1
46.5
44.5
47.4
38.4
39.0
39.3
39.3
37.0
37.8
37.6
40.0
40.0
41.0
37.3
43.0
48.2
53.9
56.3
58.7
Back
Angle
25.0
27.5
20.5
22.5
24.5
22.0
27.0
23.0
Hip
Angle
95.0"
98.5
91.0"
87.0
96.0
90.5
93.0
91.0"
Knee
Angle
122.0
118.5
122.5
97.5
127.0
124.5
116.0
120.0
Foot Knee Torso to Torso to
Angle Clearance Panel Wheel
89.0
106.5
74.0
62.0
72.0
81.0
84.0
82.0
7.7
7.3
6.5
4.5
21.9
22.1
23.6
19.8
15.5
15,0
14.. 5
9.5
Fig. 4
Fig. 4 Aircraft and automobile dimensions, taken to ac-
celerator or rudder pedals. A check of these vehicles and
their comfort will be helpful in establishing your initial
layout. (Seats in rearmost position).
SPORT AVIATION 9
Fig. 5 Photograph of the SAE 3 D manikin. Used by au-
tomobile manufacturers to check prototypes and for quali-
ty control of production vehicles. Here installed in
Cessna 140.
COCKPIT DESIGN SIMPLIFIED . . .
(Continued from preceding page)
and foot angles, respectively, we set these angles on our
manikin which is then placed on the vellum with the
"H" point superimposed over the intersection point. The
manikin is rotated about the "H" point until the back
bar is parallel to vertical and the back contour is at 24
degrees. The manikin is outlined on the vellum in this
position.
A half inch of floor thickness is scaled on the draw-
ing below the heel establishing the bottom of the fuse-
lage. A full scale check of this layout indicates a design
fuselage depth of 44.7 inches and a frontal area of 12.4
square feet as compared to the production aircraft in
Fig. 4. If we increase the knee angle from 120 degrees
to 130 degrees by raising the heel, fuselage depth be-
comes 41.7 inches, a reduction of 3.0 inches in fuselage
depth or a reduction of 120 square inches, almost .9 of a
square foot of frontal area! The function of human com-
fort angles in packaging becomes more apparent with
use. Any change from known cockpit roominess is re-
ported in terms of changes in human attitude comfort.
Linear dimensions expressing the roominess of a cock-
pit, on the other hand, never reflect the true comfort con-
ditions.
These typical comfort angles illustrate the simplicity
of this procedure to lay out a cockpit. It is hoped that
this example will stimulate the creativity of the reader
to seek an INDIVIDUAL solution to his PARTICULAR
application.
The completed cockpit layout vellum can be used as
an overlay to check the finished three-view drawing for
structural clearances or can be the beginning of a fresh
three-view design.
PROVING THE LAYOUT. An indispensable tool for
the designer is a seating mockup, Fig. 5. Primarily built
to check out the seating developed during the layout
phase, it is valuable also as a temporary fixture. As the
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(covers important facets of dimensioning developments)
SAE Paper 267 B (Also see page 16 of 267 B)
construction phase develops, the platform can be used
to build up the canopy installation, controls, the instru-
ment panel, etc., without reference to bulky fuselage.
A 4 ft. by 8 ft. sheet of
3
/4 inch builder's fir plywood
attached to 2 by 4 sub frame should prove to be suffi-
cient to support cockpit components for a four-place cock-
pit.
Initially, the seating positions should be checked out.
Since the manikin establishes the depressed human con-
tour, it is necessary before designing the seat frame and
location to determine the depressed padding thickness
by the "ouch" test.
Using a sample of the intended padding material,
place the pad over a plastic web lawn chair. Sit on same
and have someone check the depressed depth of the pad
carefully with a needle! This dimension is then added
to the manikin depressed line and establishes the side
view line of the seat frame. The same technique can be
adapted to the approximation of the depressed manikin
line for an existing seat using the assistance of a friend
about 69 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds sit-
ting in the seat.
Having determined the rearmost location of the seat
structure, the construction phase can be concluded by
the addition of the foot controls per the vellum layout. If
you are about 70 inches in height or shorter you should
find an excess amount of leg space in your design. Have
a friend over 70 inches in height try it for size; he
should find the size of the compartment to be adequate.
SUMMARY. We have covered most briefly the argu-
ments for using the manikin and the comfort dimension-
ing method in developing aircraft seating. If you are of
the one percent of the population that matches the scale
manikin, feel perfectly free to design your aircraft by
the cut and try method. However, you can save valuable
design time by following this simple procedure and you
are further guaranteed that any potential buyer will
find sufficient roominess in your ship. It should be re-
membered that linear dimensions from production air-
craft can frequently be misleading and, of course, do
not tell the entire comfort story. A few pointers to save
weight, the seat structure should be designed as part of
the wing as in the Beech Bonanza, or fuselage as on the
Cessna 140. Foam rubber is the best available pad ma-
terial; a cored, easily compressed pad rates best for com-
fort than the denser variations, although it is not as dur-
able. Seat springs are not necessary for aircraft applica-
tion; a web backing is sufficient. Cloth is more comfort-
able than vinyl; some military researchers recommend 4
inches of cored foam rubber covered with "Helenca,"
a stretch ski pant fabric which has high performance and
is porous. Seat depth should not exceed 18 inches for
comfort, (from the manikin back contour forward). The
nose of the seat should not be squared off.
The seat structure should be fixed for safety and
weight reasons; foot controls should be designed fully
adjustable and have at least 5 inches of travel towards
the seat from the design location. Individual vertical
seat adjustment, up to 4 inches if you wish to consider the
ladies, can be easily accomplished by providing for
blocking up the seat cushion pad with styrofoam or other
low weight materials.
The CG of the manikin is at the intersection of a line
parallel and 10 inches forward of the back and a line
5 inches above and parallel to the thigh centerline (knee
and hip point line) for most sitting attitudes.
Technical inquiries concerning the manikin tools
and their availability should be directed to the SAE, 485
Lexington Ave., New York 17, N.Y.
10 J ULY 1963