Seats

MichaelY · Post by **MichaelY** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 10:19 am

My newly acquired ex-RN Huntress would like Driver and Navigator SEATS for her idle, not standing up like the Navy did, new owners!
Anyone have any ideas?

Folly Reach · Post by **Folly Reach** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:46 pm

Welcome to the Fairey World.
A good place to start would be a browse through the pictures of various Huntresses in the Fairey Photo Gallery.
Seats that fold up onto the engine box are a good starting point.
Ian.

Tim Russell · Post by **Tim Russell** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:05 pm

The Navy Huntresses had seats, so it looks as if yours have gone missing. They are built with wooden slats on stainless steel tubular frames and mounted to slide fore and aft on horizontal bars either side of the engine casing. If you are lucky you had cushions for them. They swing up and inboard over the engine casing to let you get past. The outboard side has a couple of stainless pegs which drop into a stainless plate with a row of holes which sits on a wooden rail inside the cockpit coaming. Huntress owners will bear the scars of being stabbed in the upper body by these pegs while wriggling past the seats.

I no longer have Loyal Huntress and I'm afraid I have no detailed pictures of the seats, but I have a few which might give a general idea. Send me an e-mail and I'll see what I can dig out.

The useful reference would be the MOD Huntress Manual BR3929. Chris Davey borrowed my copy about three years ago to get it scanned and made available in the members' area of the FOC website, but I can't see it anywhere. I'm afraid my copy went with Loyal Huntress to her new owner.

CharlesL · Post by **CharlesL** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:00 pm

Tim, Michael (and other h23 owners . . )

I have a .pdf of the RN Manual that can be emailed . .

Charles

MichaelY · Post by **MichaelY** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:07 pm

Thank you Tim and Charles I have that manual but so far have not got past the engine instrument section!
Am I likely to be able to source suitable seats? Michael.

Scott Pett · Post by **Scott Pett** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:38 pm

> Am I likely to be able to source suitable seats?

Nothing is beyond the collective wit of the Fairey Owners' Club.

Welcome to the FOC.

Cheers,
Scott

Tim Russell · Post by **Tim Russell** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 7:31 pm

Michael

Huntress seats are not going to be an 'off the shelf' item. But they are a relatively simple fabrication. I think your best option will be to find an owner who has something you like, and then take some pictures and measurements and get them copied. But I have sent you some pictures which might help.

Tim

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:28 pm

Michael

I think you'll find Cascade still has the original Navy seat frames, just upholstered in some stripey fabric.

Perhaps you could use her as a pattern.

Ben

MichaelY · Post by **MichaelY** » Thu Feb 16, 2017 11:11 pm

Lots of help. Thank you all.
Michael.